After losing his three-year-old son Valentino to Leukemia in the early 1980s, Rizzo became determined to raise awareness of the fatal disease and raise funds for additional research. At the time, Leukemia was still a poorly understood illness. To shed light on the problem and help find a cure, Rizzo launched the Alternative Hair Show in 1983. Over the past 27 years, this show has grown from a footnote to an extremely prestigious international extravaganza that hosts leading teams and top stylists from all over the globe and, in so doing, has raised more than $10 million for Leukemia research.
Bringing together leading hairstylists from institutions all over the world, the Alternative Hair Show has provided the hair industry with a much-needed showcase while endowing the field of Leukemia research with the funds they so desperately need. This year, Tony Rizzo’s contribution was recognized by none other than the Hair and Beauty Benevolent (HABB), the industry’s official philanthropic organization since 1853.
For over a century and a half HABB has been working tirelessly to take care of its own, offering financial support to hair and beauty professionals facing a variety of difficulties. Some of HABB’s initiatives include providing disabled hair dressers and makeup artists with special furniture and equipment to help them continue working. HABB also sponsors the Children’s Fund, which aids poor and/or terminally ill children. In February 2010, the organization bestowed one of its highest honors on Tony Rizzo; the Outstanding Achieve-ment Award for an individual who has helped raise either money or awareness for a cause.
“I am very humbled to have received this award,” Rizzo said. “It’s wonderful to be recognized for pursu-ing one’s passion, but more importantly to celebrate how far we have come in finding a cure for Leukemia.”
Sure enough, the hair and beauty industry has been a long time supporter of charitable causes. Although most famous for Locks of Love, the organization which donates natural hair wigs to cancer pa-tients who have experienced hair loss due to chemotherapy, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all that the hair and beauty business has done for the world. From individuals like Tony Rizzo in Europe to corpora-tions like Paul Mitchell, MAC and Avon in the US, this industry is helping out whenever possible and wherever necessary.
MAC Cosmetics
No doubt, one of the most universally acclaimed philanthropic initiatives ever started by a corporation in any industry has to be the MAC AIDS Fund which was founded by MAC Cosmetics in 1994 to help men, women and chil-dren afflicted with HIV/AIDS world-wide. The same year saw the launch of MAC’s Viva Glam lipstick. With all the profits from the Viva Glam lipstick and lip glass going straight to the AIDS Fund, MAC has raised more than $160 million to date on behalf of the world AIDS epidemic.
This year, MAC has brought in Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper to represent the various generations that have been affected by the AIDS crisis. “We have one artist that hit the music industry at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, and an-other that is explosively popular with young people today. They represent different generations that are equally as affected by this disease,” said John Demsey, Estee Lauder Companies Group President and MAC AIDS Fund Chairman.
The Avon Foundation
Since 1955, the Avon Foundation has been promoting new ways to help women and families in every way imagin-able. From raising money for breast cancer research to fighting domestic violence to supporting disaster relief, The Avon Foundation has raised and awarded more than $725 million worldwide.
The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade was launched in 1992. Since then, the orga-nization has launched many high-profile events like the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer campaign and the sale of the Crusade pink ribbon products. In 2004, Avon launched the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence Program. Since then, the global initiative has awarded more than $12 million to some 400 domestic violence prevention programs in the US alone.
Among its many relief efforts, The Avon Foundation for Women has helped families impacted by the events of September 11, provided assistance to the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the earthquake in China, and aided the families of military personnel lost and wounded in armed conflict.
Paul Mitchell
A brand that’s been deeply rooted in philanthropy ever since its incep-tion, Paul Mitchell has recently partnered with Grow Appalachia to help mountain families foster an environmentally friendly community. Eco-consciousness has long been a fundamental Paul Mitchell value. By funding American Forests to plant trees, the company offsets the carbon emissions brought about by the pro-duction of its product line.
The driving force behind the com-pany’s many charitable contributions is CEO and Co-Founder John Paul DeJoria. Over the years, DeJoria has traveled to South Africa where he worked with Nelson Mandela to raise awareness of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as on the Mineseek-ers project, which develops strategies for removing landmines around the world.
The New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists
Helping women feel better about the changes in their appearance due to cancer, the “Look Good...Feel Better” program is not affiliated with any one company. However, the organization isa favorite with corporations and as-sociations in the field of hair and beauty. In January, for instance, the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) donated $10,000 to the cause at their first annual NYSCC Chairman’s Charity Event.
The Society selected the program “specifically because it is in perfect alignment with what we, as an organiza-tion of cosmetic chemists, are all about,” NYSCC Chairman Joe Albanese explained. “Namely, we are all in the business of helping people, and especially women, look good and feel better every day of their lives.”
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