LAWRENCE: Salons to assist Sandy’s victims

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Sitting in the chair at the salon, clients often share their news — good or bad — with their favorite hair stylist.
   Lately, some of that news has been about the wreckage left behind after Hurricane Sandy barreled up the East Coast and targeted the New Jersey coastline, said Denise Taylor, co-owner of Great Looks hair salon at the Mercer Mall.
   Sympathetic to their plight, Ms. Taylor has organized a charity — Salons Saving Our Shores — to raise money for the storm’s victims, beginning with a fundraising “cut-a-thon” Dec. 23 at the Westin Princeton Hotel at 201 Village Boulevard at Forrestal Village, off Route 1 in Plainsboro Township.
   Proceeds from the event, which runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., will benefit One Simple Wish, which is a Red Cross-recognized New Jersey non-profit organization, and Restore Our Shore, which is a charity organization, she said. Both groups directly aid New Jersey families in their recovery efforts.
   Stylists who are participating in the fundraiser are charging $30 for a haircut, $25 for styling and $15 for chair massages or red clip-in hair extensions to signify the official color of Salons Saving Our Shores. Raffle drawings for donated baskets and door prizes will be awarded all afternoon. Salon S.O.S. logo shirts will be available for purchase, as well as a light lunch.
   ”This is one way we can give back to the community. We have skills. We can cut hair. After seeing such tragedy envelop my state, my clients and my neighbors, I could think of no better way to use my gift of cutting hair than to raise money to help,” Ms. Taylor said.
   Ms. Taylor said she founded the Salons Saving Our Shores initiative within the last month, after hearing stories from clients whose summer homes at the shore were either damaged or destroyed by the storm. She has also heard stories from new clients, who have moved to the area to stay with family or friends after they were displaced by Hurricane Sandy.
   The more salons that climb on board the effort means the more money that can be raised and donated to help the storm’s victims, Ms. Taylor said. There are about 300,000 hair and beauty salons in the United States, she said, noting that salons in towns along the New Jersey shore also were affected by the storm.
   Ms. Taylor said the Salons Saving Our Shores will be an on-going event. A second fundraising event is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 10. The goal is to bring an awareness of what the beauty industry can do to help, she said.
   For more information, visit www.salons-sos.org. and www.facebook.com/SalonsSavingOurShores.