Businesses in Summit plan to create booms for Louisiana shoreline
By Jewell Cardwell
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Whether it's the tragedy of 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, folks from Greater Akron are always in the vanguard, providing help in any way they can.
We all remember the fire truck purchased for New York City that was made possible by donors of all kinds — school fundraisers, folks on fixed incomes, and big and small businesses.
The same kind of heart and soul went into funding two special vehicles — a cargo van and a refrigerator truck — for the Biloxi, Miss., food bank after Katrina ravaged the city.
Now comes the mind-boggling oil spill that's hit the Gulf Coast.
While BP officials and others continue to look for ways to fix the problem, which is polluting the Gulf and threatening the environment, seafood industry and economy in general, Greater Akron is at it again — throwing out an anchor of aid.
This time it will help alleviate the damage being caused by the Gulf Coast oil spill.
However, it's not financial support that's being sought. It's hair and hosiery.
You heard right.
It's part of a unique, international effort organized by A Matter of Trust charity.
Melissa Lisuch-Vesely — owner of the Beauty Lounge hair salon, 70 E. Mill St., Akron — is captaining the local hair-raiser.
The hair — donated by salons — and fur — donated by dog groomers — will be forced into the nylons like sausage and fashioned into hair booms, which will be placed along the troubled Louisiana shoreline to soak up the oil.
Lisuch-Vesely is buoyed by the local response to her ''Hey, I want your hair'' S.O.S.
Lori Goedecke — who has Frizz Hair Experience in Cuyahoga Falls — was quick to hop on the bandwagon of hair aid, Lisuch-Vesely said.
Others sweeping up their clients' hair from the floor for the cause are the local JC Penney hair salons, beauty schools and individual salons.
''We're just trying to get the word out that Friday is our deadline,'' Lisuch-Vesely said, adding the clients also are urged to donate ''used, clean hosiery'' to the cause.
''In the meantime, Vicki Slama [franchisee of Akron's Two Men and a Truck operation] jumped on board to donate warehouse space and boxes,'' Lisuch-Vesely said. ''And the UPS store in Akron has volunteered to ship the boxes.''
For more information, please e-mail beautyloungeakron@yahoo.com. Instructions are at http://www.thebeautylounge.net
Remember the deadline to donate hair, animal fur and hosiery is Friday. Drop-off time is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Two Men and a Truck, 1511 E. Market St., Akron. Boxes should be lined with a trash bag and fill the box with fresh, clean hair clippings. Decorate your box with your salon personality.
Bag the clean hosiery.
Final drop-off day party is 5 p.m. at the East Market Street location.
Proceeds from food sales at the party and donations will go to the Vanguard College of Cosmetology (a Paul Mitchell partner school) to pay for special HAZMAT training to place the hair booms.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.
