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Hair salon hoping to raise $10,000 to give African families safe water

April 23, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Pickford

An Orangeville hair salon is calling on the community to help them raise $10,000 as they seek to help dozens of families in Africa gain access to clean water.

For the past 12 years, Kathleen Henning and her staff at Henning Salon, located at 193 Broadway, have come together to participate in fundraising attempts orchestrated by one of their popular product lines – Aveda. This year, the group is taking donations to help drill wells for impoverished residents in Madagascar.

“This is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. We’ve supported this for as long as I can remember, definitely as long as we’ve been in Orangeville,” Ms. Henning told the Citizen. “Right now, there are people who don’t have access to the things we take for granted. Aveda has taken notice of this, partnering with Water Aid, in an attempt to bring clean, sustainable water sources to people across the world.”

Typically, Ms. Henning and her team will follow Aveda’s lead in supporting projects in batches. This year is the fourth and final year they will be sending money to Madagascar. When asked why it was so important for her to participate in this cause, Kathleen simply shrugged, stating it was the right thing to do.

“These people, right now, have to walk around five kilometres every single day just to bring dirty water back to their home,” Kathleen said. “We’d like to change that.”

“Because men, women and children have set duties in Madagascar, it’s often the women and children who are left to gather the water. That means they’re losing the opportunity to go to school, gain an education and improve their lives,” said Ashley Park, a stylist at Henning Salon. “If we’re able to do even a little bit to help change the path of even one person, it’s worth it.”

So far, the salon has raised just over $7,000. With $3,000 to go to reach their target, they have a few events planned over the coming weeks. This Monday, the salon is hosting a ‘Cut-a-thon’, with all stylists donating their time between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to provide haircuts to people in the community. Women can get a cut for $40, while men can stop by for a trim for $35. Cash only, with all proceeds going directly to the people of Madagascar.

While she didn’t necessarily have a target for the event, Ms. Henning noted it could rake in up to $2,900 – which would essentially bring the ladies to their magic number.

Just in case, a second event based around yoga has been planned for May 2. Partnering with Lion’s Den Yoga, also based on Broadway, the salon will open its doors to 30 individuals looking to learn about self-care yoga. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with spots costing $20 per person.

Should they be successful in their bid to raise $10,000, Ms. Henning estimates the money will provide 400 Madagascan families with sustainable water supplies.

“We care about these people. We want to be able to provide them opportunities and give them the basic necessities of life. Everybody deserves access to clean water,” Ms. Henning said. “If we, as a community, can partner together to help make this happen for so many people, it would be amazing. I’m confident we’ll be able to do it.”

For more information on Henning Salon’s cut-a-thon and yoga event, call 519-942-4297.

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