PBA Power
With an unprecedented show of unity for fellow beauty professionals impacted by Hurricane Sandy, stylists, distributors, manufacturers and media outlets gathered on December 9 at Canoe Studios in New York City.
Their mission: To make the "Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers" benefit a huge success.
With donations still pouring in and the on-line auction still open, the event has already raised more than $170,000 for the Professional Beauty Association's (PBA) Disaster Relief Fund, which awards 100% of the money to aid industry professionals impacted by natural disasters.
Three hundred guests and more than 3,000 others watched the live streaming video and took part in the event (webcast: hairdressershelpinghairdressers.com). Several cross-manufacturer teams along with some of the industry brightest stars, including celebrity hairstylist and event emcee Ted Gibson, also contributed their time and talents.
While the event lured many industry VIPs, the "stars" were those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, such as New York salon owner Josie Scarpa-a beneficiary of the PBA Disaster Relief Fund.
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| Models strutted their stuff to support the cause. |
"When my salon was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, 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 are there 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."
The benefit showcased hair and fashion shows along with a silent auction. (The on-line silent auction remains open through the end of the year.) Beyond Josie Scarpa, the lives of stylists Anthony Cole, Deanna DiLorenzo and Danielle Laster were also impacted by the storm.
Each shared their experience. Cole was out of town when the storm hit and returned 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 along with everything in it.
The evening featured many luminaries such as: Goldwell/KMS featuring Dimitrios Tsioumas, John Simpson and Nick Arrojo; 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 Academy's Traci Sakosits and Richie Rivera; Hairbrained's Gerard Scarpaci and Randy Taylor, and Joico/Zotos featuring Stephen Wang.
The event can be watched, bids on the auction items entered and donations made at: hairdressershelpinghairdressers.com.
Salon professionals can make a tax deductible donation at probeauty.org/disaster-relief-fund.
Applications for aid can be found at probeauty.org/disaster-relief-fund.
