PRESS RELEASE
Press Contact: Megan Newell, Wella
megan_newell@cotyinc.com
“Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers” Fundraising Benefit
The Salon Industry Comes Together to Help Professionals Impacted by Hurricane Sandy
New York City, NY (December 11, 2012) - The Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers Hurricane Benefit held Sunday night at Canoe Studios in NYC brought together hairdressers and manufacturers from throughout the beauty industry with the goal to raise as much money as possible for the PBA Disaster Relief Fund. The DRF grants 100% of proceeds to hairdressers in need after suffering devastating loss.
With nearly 500 in attendance and webcast live, the Sandy relief fundraising benefit was an evening of solidarity and hope. Attendees included New York salon owner Josie Scarpa, who received assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund to help rebuild her salon.
“When my salon was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy,” she said, “I applied for so many loans to help rebuild, and I was turned away again and again. Being here and knowing that my own people (hairdressers) are there for us and helping raise money gives me so much hope. I know I will rebuild again. I’ve made a promise to my staff that I will.”
More than 3000 watched the HHH webcast hosted by Ted Gibson and featuring a runway show from some of the most notable artists in the industry, including Oribe, Wella’s Nick Berardi, Anthony Cole and Alexandra Matiz; Matrix’s Ammon Carver; L’Oréal Professional’s Jason Backe; Redken’s Giovanni Giuntoli; Pureology’s Ruth Roche; Sassoon’s Traci Sakosits and Richie Rivera; Hairbrained’s Gerard Scarpaci and Randy Taylor and Joico’s Stephen Wang.
Each of manufactures represented donated generous checks to PBA’s Steve Sleeper all in the name of helping hairdressers rebuild. To aid the fundraising efforts attendees were able to bid on numerous silent auction items, including “A day with Ted Gibson.”
A keynote of the evening was stories from hairdressers like Josie Scarpa, Anthony Cole and Danielle Laster, whose personal and professional lives were devastated by the storm. Cole was out of town when the storm hit and came back to the East Coast to discover his dog had drowned and that he and his family no longer had a home. Laster of Rockville, NY, lost her apartment and everything in it.
The Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers benefit raised more than $170,000. Funds are still needed, however. Log on to http://www.hairdressershelpinghairdressers.com/ to watch the webcast replay and bid on more auction items. To donate directly, or to apply for relief go towww.probeauty.org/disaster-relief-fund
