Celebrate the Beauty of Giving
This Long Island-based nonprofit provides free beauty and wellness treatments to cancer patients. Find out how you can support—and celebrate—the important cause.
Long Island news anchor and cancer survivor Carol Silva delivers the keynote address at The Beauty Ball. Courtesy of Mondays Cancer Care.
On Monday, April 28th, Mondays Cancer Care will hold its 8th annual Long Island Beauty Ball this year at the Flowerfield Celebrations in St. James at 6 pm. The nonprofit organization provides free wellness and beauty services to women, men, and young adults undergoing treatment for any cancer.
When I first heard of Mondays Cancer Care a few years back, I immediately felt a pull—an alignment. The sisters behind the foundation—Cynthia Sansone, Rachel DeMolfetto, and Karla Waldron—lost their mother to breast cancer and created the organization on the belief that cancer patients deserve dignity, strength, and restorative treatments as they fight their disease. Their other two sisters, Michelle Powell and AnnMarie Murphy, sit on the executive board. Mondays started at Racine Salon in Islip, and now 21 charter locations across Long Island offer cancer patients free beauty, wellness, and fitness services every Monday.
If you follow my work, you know I talk a lot about the psychological, feel-good effect that beauty services and products provide. I’ve seen this firsthand as a beauty editor for over 20 years. I often talk about that inner light that turns on in a woman who just had her hair and makeup done for a photoshoot. As the daughter of a hairdresser, I witnessed this at a young age, too (which undoubtedly influenced my career path). Growing up, my mother cut hair in our home, and I’d watch women come alive as they looked at their freshly cut and styled hair.
I also watched my mother put on lipstick, curl her hair, and deal with every single lemon life handed her, from being widowed at 38 to navigating a five-plus-year journey with metastatic breast cancer. She handled her disease with grace and dignity. She put on her makeup and styled her wig every day until the end—because that made her feel like herself despite the many changes to her body. Looking good made her feel good. Last year, my mother completed her journey with cancer. (I’m not a fan of the “lost her battle” language; she found healing, just not how we’d hoped.) She never made it to a Mondays event, but she wanted to. And as a hairdresser, she loved the intention behind the organization.
Heartbreaking, yes, but it’s even more of a reason to support Mondays. I will be there on the 28th, interviewing VIP guests and Community Hero honorees MaryAnn Fragola, DNP, ANPc, ACHPN
New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Alexis Armenti, director of sales at Bellami Hair, and Sachem Central Teachers' Association, while streaming live on the Pretty Local Instagram page. The lively evening will include a keynote speech from Carol Silva, a psychic lounge, a lash lounge, mini makeovers, vendors, amazing raffle prizes, a special tribute to nurses, and so much more.
How can you help? Come! Support this organization by purchasing a ticket here. Your ticket will not only buy you a great night out, but you’ll also be helping Mondays keep their services 100% free for cancer patients. You can volunteer your expertise and time at events as a beauty professional. If you’re a salon owner, you can become a charter salon. If you’re just someone who cares, there are many ways to get involved. And, of course, you can always donate.
Please join me at this fantastic event on April 28th. If you’ll be there, please stop by to say hello! I love to meet Long Island beauties in real life. In the meantime, take a look at pictures from last year’s event.
