Metuchen resident George Connors gets a haircut from Ginny Arcelay during Salon 212’s charity cut-a-thon for Edison resident Giuliana Velona, 8, who is battling cancer. SCOTT FRIEDMAN METUCHEN — Members of the community got haircuts for a cause on Oct. 5 when Salon 212 on Main Street hosted the “Fight Like a Girl Cut-A-Thon” to benefit Giuliana Velona, an 8-year-old Edison girl battling chordoma.
A rare type of cancer, chordoma affects the bones of the skull and spine. Diagnosed at 3 years old, the student at St. Francis Cathedral School in Metuchen has undergone radiation and chemotherapy to treat several tumors, according to the organizers of the Fuce 5K, an annual race in Metuchen that has raised money for Giuliana.
The treatments have robbed Giuliana of her strength, and her weakened immune system makes it risky for her to go to a rehabilitation facility, so her family is working to bolster her strength at home. Giuliana faces a year of chemotherapy to fight the cancer.
“My children go to St. Francis also, so they know her,” said Jessica McGowan, owner of Salon 212. “I wanted to do something for her.”
McGowan publicized the event through the school and church newsletters, as well as with fliers distributed around town. She said between 35 and 40 people turned out to get haircuts and help Giuliana’s cause, with women paying $50, and men and children paying $20.
“One-hundred percent of the proceeds went right to Giuliana,” McGowan said.
Hairdressers Glorya Gilvary, Ginny Arcelay and Tiffany Hamdel joined Mc- Gowan, coming in on a day the salon would normally be closed to help raise funds for the girl and her family.
McGowan’s children, Ava, 8, and Jack, 11, lent their efforts to the event, as well.
“They were actually in here the whole day helping,” McGowan said. “They answered the phone, they swept, they greeted people; they were excellent.”
According to McGowan, the school and the community as a whole have been making an effort to help Giuliana in her fight against chordoma.
She said those who could not make it to the cut-a-thon and would like to donate can do so at the salon at 214 Main St., Metuchen.