Cutting Hair to Help Cut the Risk

BY VINCENT ABBATECO

On Sunday, October 6, the Shear Magique hair studio in Pomona held its 1st Annual Lucille Sabino Cut-a-thon, an event to raise proceeds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“My feeling was because what we do for a living, we provide a service,” said salon owner Lenore Quiroga. “I felt because breast cancer was so important to me in my life, because my mom had breast cancer for seven years, and she had passed away in 2006…I felt like I wanted to do something within the community…give back by providing a service to people, look good and do something good, and make everybody feel like they’re doing something good. We’re doing something good, and the client walking away is doing something good by donating their money to a great cause.”

With the pink decorations adorning both the inside and outside of the salon, the staff expressed their passion and support for this significant cause. With the entire setup, including a DJ and raffle table, it was evident the staff wanted to make their first cut-a-thon a memorable one where the clientele could have fun and contribute to both breast cancer awareness and a quality business.

The hairstylists were hard at work with their customers throughout the afternoon, sporting their special t-shirts with the event’s goal stated on the back: “Look good, do good.”

The salon was vibrant with the sounds of scissors cutting, blow-dryers blowing, and combs raking through hair, while the stylists alternated between friendly conversations with their customers and looks of deep concentration as they tried to get the styles just right.

The salon team was determined to express their support for this noble cause, while also showing an aspect of togetherness within their studio.

“It’s just a great cause for the community, a fundraiser,” said salon stylist Dunia Burns. “In memory of Lenore’s mom, Lucille, and her sister, Jeanmarie, who’s a survivor, we figured we’d put our first one together this year.”

Customers from all over Rockland attended the event, showing the terrific word-of-mouth that had spread.

“You can’t go a day without hearing someone going through it or who has gone through it,” said Suffern resident Bernadette Peluso. “And, I just wanted to come out and support the community because I live right down the road, the shop is right in our location, and I come here to get my hair done, so I said, ‘Just be here for the cause’.”

Quiroga’s sister, Jeanmarie, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and it was caught in the early stages. She went to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Sleepy Hollow, and her doctors were able to treat her right away because they knew her mother’s history. She has been clean ever since, and urges women to do what they can to prevent this illness.

“I would love to have a cure, of course, and just make women aware to come out and get their mammograms, and early detection,” said Jeanmarie Quiroga. “I caught it early, or it could have been a different outcome. So, I think everybody should get out there and get their mammograms, give themselves breast exams, stuff like that.”

The event was a huge success, earning over three-thousand dollars in proceeds, and electronic donations are still going on. Visit Shear Magique’s Facebook page for more information.

  breast cancer awareness, Pomona, Shear Magique