Honoring National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was in October, and Federico Beauty Institute's staff, students and friends participated together with AJF Salon to help support this noble cause. The Federico family looked very colorful in pink as we were preparing for the Locks of Love cut-a-thon, Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk and our Casual for a Cause day.
Hairstylists representing AJF Salon and Federico Beauty Institute participated in a Locks of Love cut-a-thon on October 15th. Firefighters representing Local 522 in Sacramento were growing their hair to the required length of ten inches, and the time for a trim finally arrived! Our hairstylists cut six firefighters' hair and also cut the hair of twenty-six additional individuals. All of the cut ponytails were mailed to Locks of Love, a charitable organization that makes hairpieces for children who are suffering from medical hair loss.
A short time later, on October 17th, students and staff representing AJF Salon and FBI joined once again to be a part of the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk of Greater Sacramento. Approximately 30 people were in the group of stylists, family, and friends. The 5k walk raised more than $300,000 to help the American Cancer Society discover a cure and to offer additional services to breast cancer patients. The AJF Salon team raised $4,080, which made them the fourth biggest company team.
In order to complete the end of the month, Federico Beauty Institute students were engaged in a Casual for a Cause day. Students could attend school wearing casual clothing, in return for donating money. Pink was the favored color to wear to show their support for the Breast Cancer Awareness cause. The Casual for a Cause day involved forty students, who raised a combined total of $275.00. The AJF's Making Strides team received the proceeds from this promotion.
The Federicos are deeply involved in promoting education about breast cancer and in fundraising for its treatment. Anne Federico, the mother of Jeremy, Joe and Adam Federico, received a diagnosis of breast cancer in 1981. After winning the victory over the disease, she continued for 22 years to support and offer advice, as well as developing a program to make wigs for females who were being treated for the disease. Anne died in 2005, after a two-year struggle with her second bout of breast cancer.
The Federico family, Federico Beauty Institute and AJF Salon have a strong belief that people should give back to their communities, and support organizations like the American Cancer Society and Locks and Love. As well as taking part in events like these, students at FBI always help out with Anne Federico’s Wig Bank program, making styling services available to wig recipients. Besides taking part in such charity promotions, the trainees at Federico Beauty Institute also provide free hairstyling on hairpieces given out by the Federico Wig Bank.