A friendly bet became a countywide collaborative fundraiser this week.
Mia Feltis, owner of Mia’s Shear Perfection, mentioned to Andrea Fossett Gray that she had been putting pink stripes in hair during October to raise awareness of Breast Cancer for a year or two.
“We donate the $10 fee to the American Cancer Society,” said Feltis, “One hundred percent of the money, but it never really took off.”
Gray asked if she could make a Facebook page to get a few more folks to participate.
Later that day, which was just last week, Gray who works at Miles Memorial Hospital care issued a challenge to Margaret Ham, who works at St. Andrews Hospital in Boothbay. Not knowing that “you don’t bet with Margaret because she really takes it seriously,” Gray said. “I bet her that I can get more people from Miles to stripe their hair than she can get at St. Andrews.”
Ham took her on and the two set up a Facebook page to spread the word. In the month of October, a $10 donation at the salon to the American Cancer Society gets a pink highlight stripe in the hair. None of the trio expected the overwhelming community response.
As of Saturday, Mia’s Shear Perfection had pink stripe-dyed 50 local residents, with many more waiting. Over 2700 people had been invited and the word was spreading.
Other salons joined the challenge. In Boothbay, The Cutting Edge and Oasis Day Spa are turning patrons pink. In the Damariscotta area, Bangz, Serenity Hair House, and Studio 18 have joined Mia’s Shear Perfection. As word spreads outside the county, the Rockland salon Green With Envy began offering the “pinking” to people in that area.
In her Damariscotta salon, Feltis ran out of pink dyes. “I had to send my mother to the beauty supply store for more,” she said, “Who knew this was going to go nuts? I am so excited.”
In response to the demand, and to serve regular appointments better, Feltis has extended her hours for pinking appointments. Her salon will stay open after 5 p.m. weekdays and after 2 p.m. on Saturdays throughout October to accommodate the requests.
The number of men participating, and who they are, has been a surprise to Gray and Ham. “So far every Police Chief in Lincoln County has done this except one, and we haven’t asked him yet,” said Gray.
Damariscotta Police Chief Chad Andrews was sporting his pink at the Pumpkin Festival this weekend. Local EMT’s are on board, too. Warren Waltz, service chief of the Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service in Damariscotta and Robbie Ham, director of the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, were among the first men to sit in the big chair for their pink stripes.
People have sponsored strangers, offering to pay for people who signed up at different times, or ‘Lucky number 500.” Whole families have gone pink together, right down to the family dog.
Members of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office would like to have pink stripes in their hair too. “Trouble is,” said Gray, “Most of them don’t have any.” Late word is that Sheriff Todd Brackett is just waiting for his appointment.
The little bet that could has taken on a life of its own. The accidental organizers, Ham and Gray, plan to tally up the results in early November.
“We haven’t had a chance to think that far ahead,” said Ham, “This is so exciting. It’s why we live here, what living in Maine is all about, so many unexpected volunteers, all these salons and their employees donating their time and all to support research to end breast cancer.”
To join the effort, call any of the participating salons or visit the Facebook page “Miles and St. A’s Highlights for Breast Cancer Support.”
