HAIRraising Event Salon Capri Haircuts for Charity

On Sunday, April 29 more than 70 salons throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire will participate in Boston Children's Hospital's annual HAIRraising event. 

For the third year in a row, Salon Capri in Dedham's Legacy Place will join other salons to provide customers with a stylish haircut for a $40 donation to Children's Hospital.

In the past, the HAIRraising for Children’s Hospital Boston event has raised more than $200,000 and organizers hope to raise another $100,000 this year according to Janet Gilfeather, coordinator Cause Marketing & Sponsorship at Children’s Hospital Trust.

 “This has become a great program,” Gilfeather said. “The first year was getting all the salons on board. It was great to see the big support from big names on Newbury Street and the interest spread out into the suburbs,” Gilfeather said. “They really went above and beyond. Last year, our top earner was Nicholas Michaels in Northboro raised over $11,000. The average for most salons is around $1,500 to $2,000.”

Salon Capri owner Amy Penna said the salon hopes to raise $15,000 this year with 18 stylists donating 7 1/2 hours of their time on Sunday to cutting a person's hair each half-hour.

"Typically we are very busy," Penna said. "We do try to make it as fun as possible too."

She said while appointments are filling up fast, walk-ins are welcome because of cancelations.

The HAIRraising program was founded by celebrity hairstylist John Frieda and Gail Federici two years ago after Federici’s daughter required extensive open-heart surgery and received treatment at Children’s Hospital Boston . John Frieda first started the HAIRraising fundraiser in 2010 to benefit the Great Orman Street Hospital in London and has since brought the charity here to the United States.

"We felt that it was a good connection between the hair salon and a great charity," Penna said. "There is a clear reason why we do it."

All proceeds go to The Children’s Fund. To learn more, visit www.hairraisng4chb.com.