Local hair salon raises $1,000 for cancer patients

March 8, 2018 | Jordan Houston
jordan@thereminder.com

CHD Cancer House of Hope Wig Boutique Coordinator Joan Quinn, left, and Trés Chic Salon and Day Spa Receptionist Andrea Dulude, right. Quinn convinced Trés Chic Salon and Day Spa of Agawam to participate in the CHD Cancer House of Hope’s “Hang Cancer Out to?Dry”?donation program. Dulude helped the salon raise over $1,000.
Reminder Publications submitted photo.

AGAWAM – A local salon raised over $1,000 for the Center for Human Development’s (CHD) Cancer House of Hope.

Trés Chic Salon and Day Spa participated in a cancer donation program, called “Hang Cancer Out to Dry,” for the month of February to help women, men and children suffering from hair loss as a result of chemotherapy. The CHD Cancer House of Hope program asks participating salons to hang a small clothesline somewhere in the salon. Patrons and salon clients are then encouraged to clip donations onto the line. The money is collected at the end of the month to support the House of Hope’s Wig Boutique, which provides free wigs and other related accessories to cancer patients.

The Agawam salon set a goal of $1,000 and succeeded by $100.

“Cancer has touched the lives of pretty much everyone there is. I think it’s important to donate because of how much it affects everyone,” said salon Receptionist Andrea Dulude. “It’s also nice to donate to an organization that’s local, and all of their services are free of charge. They really make a difference in our community, and our clients are also very close-knit and very willing to help something local in our community.”

Owner of Trés Chic Salon and Day Spa Maryann Zicollella is a cancer survivor, which is one of the reasons the salon was so eager to participate in the donation program, explained Dulude.

The program is offered to any salon interested in participating, and is part of the Cancer House of Hope’s larger mission statement to provide access to free services that bring comfort, care, strength, resilience and hope to patients with cancer and their family members. Some of the services the community-funded organization provides include massages, access to wigs and other hair-care, reiki, yoga and support groups. It strives to provide emotional, educational, social and spiritual support and serves 500 guests each year. Every dollar earned from donations and grants is spent on the organization’s clients.

The House of Hope, which is located in West Springfield and runs off of volunteer participation, is a branch of the CHD, which is a nonprofit, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation (CARF)-accredited organization that provides a broad range of community-oriented human services to children, adults and families each year. The CHD is dedicated to promoting, enhancing and protecting the dignity and welfare of people in need.

“Our purpose is to facilitate a need, and I just want to provide our clients with comfort and make them feel as if they’re always welcomed and never judged,” said Cancer House of Hope Wig Boutique Coordinator Joan Quinn. “We’re just here to help without any reservation, we can’t help them take their cancer away but we will bend-over-backwards to find them the right wig.”

Quinn was responsible for kick-starting the “Hang Cancer Out to Dry” donation program, and has 26 years of experience as a licensed hair dresser and cosmetology instructor.

Hair loss is one of the most visible side effects of chemotherapy. The drugs are powerful medications that attack rapidly growing cancer cells, as well as other rapidly growing cells in the body– including those in roots of hair. Chemotherapy may cause hair loss all over the body. Hair usually begins falling out around two-to-four weeks after starting the treatment.

For those interested in participating with the “Hang Cancer Out to Dry” program, or getting involved with the Cancer House of Hope, visit www.chd.org/adult-services/community-based-programs/cancer-house-hope/.

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