News
Acton hair salon donates $17,000 to Emerson Hospital’s Bethke Cancer Center
(CONCORD, Mass., December 5, 2006)-- Margo’s Hair & Body Design in Acton recently donated $17,000 to Emerson Hospital’s Bethke Cancer Center. The check, presented to Emerson Hospital at a 25th anniversary celebration held at the Maynard Elks, far exceeded the salon’s original goal of $10,000.
In celebration of 25 years of service in Acton, the salon spent months preparing for the benefit by soliciting many businesses in and around the Acton area to donate raffle items. The raffle raised more than $8,000 and included items ranging from $50 to $1,500. Local businesses that pledged their support with raffle items included Savoury Lane, Not Your Average Joe’s, Idylwilde Farms, Trader Joe’s, Nazzaro Painting, Concord Flower Shop, Wedgewood Pines Country Club, Manero Catering and all of the salon’s suppliers.
The salon also raised $3,000 from the “Casual for a Cause Day,” held one day per week over the course of a year, where salon staff who wore jeans donated $5 to the fundraiser, with client contributions adding to the total raised. In addition, the salon sold 500 tickets at $10 per ticket to the celebration, which included a gourmet appetizer bar and chocolate fountain. All of the combined fundraising efforts netted $17,000 for the Bethke Cancer Center.
Peggy Nazzaro, owner of Margo’s Hair & Body Design, approached Emerson Hospital about donating to Bethke because, like so many people, she has watched clients and people she loves, including her mother, suffer from cancer. During the raffle, Nazzaro listed off names of friends and family who have been touched by cancer, and encouraged attendees to participate.
“The salon is touched by cancer too often, whether it’s watching clients endure treatment or family members succumb to the disease after a long battle,” said Nazzaro. “Everybody has a story. Fundraisers like this help heal people who have lost someone.”
Nazzaro’s ties to Emerson are intensely personal, and the hospital’s proximity to her business made Bethke a natural choice for the recipient of the money. “I chose Bethke because of what it’s done for my clients and family and because it is in our own community,” said Nazzaro, whose mother was treated at Bethke in the late stages of her cancer. “I hope and pray that my sister and I never have to deal with Bethke on a personal level, but if we do, we know we’re in good hands.”
“Margo’s Hair & Body Design can be sure that these funds will be put to excellent use directly benefiting our patients as they undergo treatments at our Center,” said Lori Noonan, manager of cancer services at Emerson Hospital. “The generosity of the community keeps us strong. We extend our deepest thanks to Peggy Nazzaro and the staff, clients, family and friends who made this possible. They have a lot to be proud of: 25 years in business and the ability to reach out to others in the community. We are honored that they considered our cancer center and the many patients that we serve as the recipients of their kindness.”
The Bethke Cancer Center, ranked in the top 2% for patient satisfaction across all surveyed Massachusetts cancer centers, was founded at Emerson Hospital in 1997, offering expert, state-of-the-art treatment and cancer care in a comfortable setting. By partnering with Massachusetts General Hospital, and collaborating with Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care, the Center provides high-quality treatment and technology. The Bethke Cancer Center offers outpatient services in hematology, medical oncology and radiation oncology.
Margo’s Hair & Body Design is located at 253 Arlington Street in Acton.
Photographed outside of Margo's are, from left to right, Lori Noonan, manager of cancer services at Emerson Hospital; Peggy Nazzaro, owner of Margo's Hair & Body Design; and Sandy Durben, manager of Margo's