The Alternative Press

On July 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Salvatore Minardi welcomed patrons to his salon on Park Avenue in Madison, to enjoy an incredible hair-cutting or coloring experience, all to benefit Cheshire Home in Florham Park. Cheshire is in its 30th year of serving young adults who have suffered spinal cord injuries, or who have degenerative paralyzing medical conditions.

Mr. Minardi, an internationally–renowned hair designer who has worked as a participating stylist at events including the Tony Awards, the M.T.V. Video Music Awards, and New Year’s Eve at Times Square, is generously donating all fees from the Cut-A-Thon to support the training and education programs of the Cheshire Community Resource Center.

Throughout the day ladies and gentlemen received the royal treatment from Salvatore and his highly accomplished staff, and everyone agreed that they felt special, beautiful (or handsome), and very happy to be a part of the fundraising event.

Salvatore, ever the community-minded man who has a deep belief in the power of giving, indicated that the Cheshire Home benefit will now become a yearly event. “We all have something to offer,” he said. “It’s important that we know that, and that we take what we have and help each other.”

Cheshire Home’s Executive Director George Zeitler recalled that during their high school years, he and Salvatore were in a rock band together. He shared that while they started out to be rock stars, their paths led them instead to work in fields closely linked to the community, and to those in need.

Recently the Cheshire “family” celebrated as six residents moved out into private apartments, four of them having earned college degrees while living at Cheshire Home, all of them ready to embark on the next exciting stage of their lives. The July 25th Salvatore Minardi Cut-A-Thon will now provide significant support to a new group of residents that is working toward their own personal fulfillment.

To visit the Salvatore Minardi Salon, please call Carol at 973-443-4455.

To learn more about the upcoming fund raising events for Cheshire Home, the annual 5K “Run for our Residents” on September 16th, and the Poor Herbie’s Happy Hour on September 10, please call Barbara or Darlene at 973 377-9531, or visit the website at www.cheshirehome.org.