It was a glorious day in Clarkesville on Saturday. However, even though there was a light breeze and just the right amount of fall sunshine, I am not talking about the weather. I am referring to way the community came together in unity, to support an important cause. Sidney’s Salon opened its doors to raise money for the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the cure by donating all the service proceeds for the day. The owner, Sidney, has a personal interest in seeing a cure for cancer because his family has and continues to battle this horrific disease in all of its forms. His personal experiences are evident in the compassion he shows his clients who are survivors. You see, as a survivor, I can tell you that the transition to having hair after being bald is almost as difficult as loosing the hair to start with, only you are happier. It comes back entirely different from the hair you had “before cancer”…the texture, the color, straight or curly…my hairline even changed. Sidney takes great care in finding a style that suits the new hair and the new you. After a devastating illness that causes trauma in your life, it is a breath of fresh air to be able to feel beautiful again.
Because of this, I knew that when I decided to walk 60 miles in three days to raise funds and awareness, Sidney would support my efforts. What I did not know is to what lengths he would go in order to do so. He wanted to do more than just write a check. He wanted to host an event for the entire community to make a difference. He not only donated all of the salon’s earnings for the day, he offered prizes, cooked all the magnificent food, and handled all the publicity. He even purchased pink paint for his clients who are cancer survivors to use to “Paint the Porch” in front of his salon. This served as a bonding time for us as we met new survivor friends, and shared our cancer experiences while in the process of painting. It was fun to decorate the salon for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in such a meaningful way.
Sidney did not do this alone. Local businesses donated services and items to sell. He has a wonderful staff in Lindsey and Katie that helped every detail come off without a hitch. Even the charming host Eli, with his pink bow tie, served everyone graciously to make the day run smoothly. But most importantly are those of you in the community that showed up in force to support our efforts. We ran out of chairs because there were so many of you. People were sitting on the floor and waiting hours for haircuts. The stylists did not get to sit or eat all day long! What patience you showed, all to make a difference in the battle against cancer. Like I said it was a glorious day, because you made it one.
Out front, we sold “Fight Like a Girl, Win Like a Warrior” t-shirts to passers by and also to clients. A few cars even pulled off the road so someone could jump out to purchase a shirt. The best part was when people stopped to tell us their cancer stories and those of their friends and family members. Each telling is at the same time both painful and healing when shared with fellow travelers in the journey. There were a few tears, but mostly fun laughter-filled moments as the community did what communities are supposed to do…care for one another. I wanted to personally thank each of you for your support. Because of your generosity, we raised $3, 231 in ONE day for the fight against breast cancer and donations are still coming in. (You can still stop by Sidney’s if you have not had the chance to give.) It goes to show you what one person can do if he has the vision and the backing of his community. Just think what we could do if we each met the challenge to fight against this dreaded disease. I cannot wait for the day when we can put down our swords because the battle is over. Until then, I will fight like a girl so that ALL of us can win like warriors! Thank you again for joining us in the fight!!