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June 5, 2021  by

Kate’s Cause – Happy 10th Heavenly Birthday, Kate

Happy heavenly birthday, sweet Kate. Today, you would be celebrating turning 10 … possibly sassing your momma, definitely loving the 2021 invasion of the cicadas, and absolutely giggling that your momma is practically wearing a bee keeper suit to keep away from them. I hate that you are not here with her and your dad. I hate cancer. But I think of you daily, and think of ways to make the world better in your memory.

One of those ways is by dedicating our June Community Outreach Partner at Salon Khouri to Kate’s Cause, giving $1 from every haircut we do in June to support this amazing non-profit your parents set up. Kate’s Cause is doing great things for other kiddos battling cancer. It’s their hope and mission to find better, less toxic treatments. One of the big things they are working on now is by committing $75,000 to help fund some great research being done by Dr. Yael Mossé, MD, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Mossé’s goal is to develop targeted drugs for MYCN, a currently “undruggable” driver of pediatric cancer, within the next four years. This amazing doctor brought together a team of complementary researchers, each with unique experience to attack MYCN with innovative new technologies. Together, they will prove that the drugs they’re developing are effective against most lethal pediatric cancers, and they will be ready to launch a clinical trial shortly after the grant is completed in Spring 2025!

Precious Kate Rhoades

We encourage you to visit Kate’s Cause to learn what you can do to help beat childhood cancer. We also ask that you perform Random Acts of Kateness to honor Kate during June (#RandomActsOfKateness).  Find a neighbor who needs assistance going to the store or who needs help with their yard work; pay for the car behind you when you go through the drive-thru; offer to pay for a fellow shoppers’ items next time you go to a store. 

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May 1, 2021  by

Summer warnings for teen drivers: The Art of Driving, our May Community Outreach Partner

First, some facts: 23% of teen drivers are more likely to drive with three or more teens in the car in the summer, compared to 6% of teen drivers who are more likely to do so during the school year.

  • 48% of all teen driving fatalities were single vehicle crashes.
  • Approximately 3,000 15-20 year-olds are killed each year in vehicle crashes.
  • Alcohol and drugs are not major causes for these fatalities – representing only 20%.
  • 54% of all teen passenger deaths occurred when another teen was driving.
  • The teen brain has not fully developed until the mid 20’s. They are susceptible to distractions, risk taking behaviors, and a limited capacity to multi-task.
  • Inexperience and distractions are the leading cause of teen driving fatalities, particularly for 16 and 17-year-olds.
  • The majority of teen auto fatalities occur on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Most of those deaths occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight.

So what can we, as parents, grandparents, and friends, do to keep our children, grandchildren and friends safe on the road? Education is one of the best ways to help and there is no better place to learn about teen driving safety than The Art of Driving, founded by Robin Thompson after she tragically lost her 16 year old daughter, Ashley Renee Thompson, in a single vehicular crash in 2003. Robin’s passion is now educating the public on how we can keep our teens safe on the road. The Art of Driving offers teen awareness and responsibility training, parent awareness and responsibility training, a teen task force, and programs brought into schools, youth groups and civic organizations.

Additionally, Robin gives back through The Ashley Renee Thompson Memorial Foundation scholarship each year, granted to a deserving graduating senior. The application process includes:

  • a 500 word essay
  • letters of recommendation
  • high school transcript
  • record of community/school service
  • a 55 second video you produce to empower and motivate your peers to “Survive the 5” leading causes of teen vehicle crashes.

The winner for the 2021 Scholarship is Summer Duba from Westfield High School in Herndon, VA. Learn more here.

We are honored to once again partner with The Art of Driving as our May Community Outreach Partner and are donating $1 from every haircut this month to this amazing, local non-profit.

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April 1, 2021  by

ChildHelp: Transforming the Lives of Abused and Neglected Children

Helping victims of child abuse is more than just a desire, it is the lifetime commitment for ChildHelp. This commitment began when their founders, two young Hollywood actresses, encountered 11 homeless orphans abroad, and their lives were forever changed. Sara (Buckner) O’Meara and Yvonne (Lime) Fedderson went on to found ChildHelp and is now an internationally respected nonprofit and the largest organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect as well as at-risk children. Though it has grown beyond their wildest dreams, CEO and Chairman, Sara O’Meara, and President, Yvonne Fedderson, who still work every day for this critical cause, have never forgotten those eleven little orphans in a storm that inspired their mission of hope.

And, with the Alice C. Tyler Village located in Lignum, VA, our local children are being served and protected. The Alice C. Tyler Village has served survivors of abuse and neglect since its opening in 1993. Situated on 270 picturesque acres in Culpeper County, the village serves children from across Virginia and West Virginia.

We are honored to partner once again with ChildHelp as our April Community Outreach partner and will be donating $1 from every haircut this April.

We’d love to share with you Aiyanna’s story. Aiyanna survived brutal abuse, but Childhelp was there to transform her broken body and spirit. Through intensive therapy, the child who once had terrible nightmares began to giggle in her sleep. Meet the professionals and loving family that helped Aiyanna, a little girl who likes to build dream catchers, rebuild her dreams for a brighter future.

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March 1, 2021  by

Did you know 1 in 60 live with this? Learn more about our March Community Outreach Partner …

Say hello to our March non-profit, Brain Injury Services, a local 501(c) (3) organization. We are donating $1 from every haircut we perform in March to this great local non-profit!

The mission of Brain Injury Services is to empower those impacted by brain injury. Their Vision A community where every person touched by brain injury pursues their vision of a fulfilling life. 

The group’s philosophy is that no two people are alike and no two brain injuries are alike. The severity of a brain injury and the type of brain injury can make a difference in a person’s recovery. The group’s role is defined as helping determine the needs and priorities of children and adults, designing a plan that increases self-sufficiency and self-confidence. A person-centered approach helps children, adults and their families make informed choices to achieve their goals. The process of giving control back to the individual and their family allows them to determine their needs and priorities. It increases self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and it improves their chances of rebuilding their new life.

Brain Injury Services Organization supports their clients on many levels by helping them to: discover new skills, prepare prepare for social situations, provide a place to conquer fears, and overcome physical challenges while making new friends through the process.

Annually, 2.5 million individuals suffer a traumatic brain injury. Of those, more than 50,000 die and more than 80,000 suffer a permanent disability. These individuals must rely on services provided by organizations offering specialized and tailored care. The need is great and every single gift, donation, volunteer hour makes a big difference in the outcome of TBI individuals. If you want to know more about the group, would consider volunteering or most of all donating either once or on a monthly basis, please contact them either by telephone or through their website. Due to COVID hours, call first to make certain the facility is open to visitors. 

The main office listed above serves residents of Arlington, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax and Fairfax, Prince William and Fauquier Counties. There are several other sites in addition to the main site listed above. Alexandria, Virginia houses Adapt Clubhouse, where TBI individuals can receive occupational and physical therapy to help them adapt. There is a Northern Virginia regional office in Leesburg, Virginia, a Prince William office for Eastern Prince William County and surrounding area, a Fredericksburg office serving residents of Fredericksburg and Culpeper City, along with those from Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Culpeper, Caroline and King George Counties.

 

 

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February 1, 2021  by

Four Paws Up for our February Community Outreach Partner: Heeling House

Heeling House is one of the pioneers in the field of Animal Assisted Interactions (AAI).  Since 2013, Heeling House has been providing Animal Assisted Interactions for children with special needs in local schools, libraries, hospitals, and therapeutic centers in the Northern Virginia Area.

We are honored to once again support Heeling House as our February Community Outreach partner. We will be donating $1 from every haircut we perform in February to this one-of-a kind, local, non-profit.

At its center in Sterling, Heeling House provides a variety of programs to meet children’s needs, from infancy through high school. The Heeling House Center offers animal assisted therapy, social skills groups, social clubs for teens, occupational therapy, reading therapy, summer camps, and obedience and therapy training for dogs. We also breed, whelp, and train service dogs specializing in Psychiatric and Autism task-work. These specially trained dogs learn to recognize behaviors that could lead to self-harm and will interrupt the pattern, keeping the child safe. The dogs provide calming support, for example, leaning against the child or placing their head in the child’s lap or laying over the child. These interactions benefit not only the child but also the parent as it decreases family stress levels.

Heeling House is excited to announce that their Junior Dog Trainer Camp is back! The Heeling House Junior Dog Trainer Camp is a highly specialized program that accepts eight campers ages 9-14 years each week throughout the summer. In this unique camp, children work hands on with a professional dog trainer and spend the week training dogs in basic obedience in order to help them have a successful journey in life. Camps run Monday – Friday 9am to 4pm.

 

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January 1, 2021  by

Freezin’ for a Reason – Supporting Camp Sunshine this January

– Jennifer Elkhouri

For years, I’ve seen coverage of what I consider complete nut jobs jumping into FREEZING cold water in the dead of winter. I have always thought, “Why would anyone ever do that?” Then, I heard about the Virginia Polar Dip … and how it can help children battling cancer. Sold. I will do just about anything for these children. They endure treatments that are outdated due to lack of funding — in fact, only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s research dollars are allocated to childhood cancer research. So, I figured the least I can do is jump into some ice cold water, scream as I am doing so, and maybe cry a little afterward, but most importantly, raise money and awareness.

Well, I’ve been doing that each year since 2015 (with two exceptions: 2018, I had the flu and 2019 the event was not held). This year, due to COVID, the event will be virtual, but YES, I will still do something crazy outside involving freezing cold water. But this year, more than ever, Camp Sunshine needs OUR help.

Please help me by either making a donation (no donation is too small) OR signing up to PLUNGE with me on the Salon Khouri team! You just need to have your frozen experience Feb 6th – 14th. A few ideas for you to participate: make a snow angel in your bathing suit; have a winter water balloon fight (just make sure the balloons aren’t frozen — ouch!); fill up a kiddie pool and go for a quick dip; run through sprinklers or get sprayed by a hose. All funds raised will help send children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to Camp Sunshine.

2015 Polar Dip Cutting the Ice

Gotta cut through the ice first … 2015

 

2015 Polar Dip Jump

2015 Polar Dip Jump

 

2016 Polar Dip Jump

 

2016 Polar Dip Team

 

Our 2017 team

 

Our son who jumped on my behalf in 2018 because I had the flu.

 

2020 Post Jump – adrenaline was keeping us warm … for about 2 minutes.

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December 4, 2020  by

Team Mathias – Our December 2020 Community Outreach Partner

We are honored to tell you about our December community outreach partner, local non-profit, Team Mathias.  We will be donating $1 from every haircut this month in support of Team Mathias and the ongoing childhood cancer efforts undertaken by Team Mathias, founded in his precious memory. Mathias Giordano was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2012 at the age of 11. For 29 months, Mathias endured biopsies, a port placement, 30+ rounds of high dose chemo, 3 major lung surgeries, amputation of his right leg below the knee, 27 rounds of radiation and a number of clinical trials. He battled cancer with the courage, spirit and strength of someone much older and he touched the hearts of everyone who met this fierce warrior fighting for his life. And through it all, Mathias refused to let cancer define him. He was,  to the end, the author of his own journey. Mathias decided on December 7, 2014, at 5:00 in the evening, that it was time to leave this world. He is missed every day by those who knew this courageous young warrior.

A legacy of Mathias is the Virginia Cure Childhood Cancer licence plate. Mathias wanted others to know about childhood cancer so Mathias’ family and friends worked with Delegate Tag Greason (R-32nd) to pass the Mathias Bill. “The Mathias Bill passed the House earlier by a vote of 98-0,” Greason told the Times-Mirror. “It has been amazing to watch Mathias’ vision become a reality and it is inspiring to know a small child can make such a huge impact.”

Another of Mathias’ ideas for spreading awareness was to do random acts of kindness, to pay it forward to others. We ask that you consider performing a random act of kindness this December in honor of Mathias and, if you post about it, please use the hashtags #PayItForward and #MathiasStrong.

Please take the time this December learn more about the facts on childhood cancer. Visit the Take Action page on the Team Mathias site and help spread the word. You could also participate in their Adopt-A-Family program to help directly support a family fighting Childhood Cancer. Last year, in 2019, Team Mathias was able to load up 4 SUVs from top-to-bottom with gifts for families in treatment or bereaved families.. 

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November 1, 2020  by

Supporting veterans through Boulder Crest Foundation

Boulder Crest Foundation

A suicide epidemic claims the lives of 20 service members and veterans every day, and more first responders die by suicide than in the line of fire. Millions of other combat veterans and first responders live lives filled with despair, battling PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The current mental health system, with its reliance on a one-size-fits-all approach of pharmaceuticals and talk therapy, has failed to address the nature and scale of this challenge.

Enter in our November Community Outreach partner, Boulder Crest Foundation, a leader in the field of posttraumatic growth for veterans and first responders, as our November Community Outreach partner. The mission of Boulder Crest Foundation is to facilitate Posttraumatic Growth through transformative programs, world-class training and education initiatives, along with research and advocacy efforts to help combat veterans, first responders and their families overcome trauma.

The organization was founded in 2011 and opened its first center in 2013. It is led by founder and chairman, a 21-year combat veteran Ken Falke, retired Master Chief Petty Officer from the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) community. Ken is world-renowned as a forward-thinking, creative leader in the field of wounded warrior care, military and veteran transition, counterterrorism, military training, and innovative technology development. 

Boulder Crest Foundations programs support warriors, couples and caregivers, and families by providing rest and reconnection. One of their programs, Warrior PATHH, is a transformative, lifelong, Posttraumatic Growth-based training program for combat veterans and first responders. The training begins with a 7-day on-site initiation that is followed by 18 months of training delivered by our instructors through their myPATHH platform. 

Boulder Crest Foundation has a speakers’ bureau that includes Ken and Co-Founder Josh Goldberg as well as the institute’s professional team. This resource provides speakers and presentations to interested businesses, community groups, military units and schools. Speaker representatives have trained active duty military, veterans, first responders, and civilians at organizations including COMSUBPAC, SEABEES, SVAC Sierra Vista Area, U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Rotary Club of Winchester, Warrior Reunion Foundation, Semlec Police Mobile Operations Division, Accenture Federal Services, Leadership Loudoun, Shenandoah University, U.S. Marine Corps, United Rentals, and others.

This November, we will be donating $1 from every haircut we do to the Boulder Crest Foundation. In addition to your support through your visits to Salon Khouri, you might also consider visiting the Boulder Crest website to become more familiar with this amazing, local non-profit. 

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October 5, 2020  by

Tigerlily Foundation Won’t Stop Fighting – Our October Community Partner


Every person on the Salon Khouri team has known someone who has battled breast cancer. It’s an awful disease that affects millions of women worldwide. The rates of breast cancer affecting younger women, aged 15-45) is on the rise. Thankfully, Tigerlily Foundation, a 501(c)(3) international nonprofit organization headquartered in Reston, Virgina, meets their specific needs. Tigerlily Foundation provides education, advocacy and support to young women before, during and after breast cancer. Its outreach focuses on the breast cancer community as a whole and includes family, friends, health advocates, physicians, researchers and more.

Virtual Pink Boa 5k

Any woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer clearly understands the wide range of emotions, physical symptoms, financial impact, conflicting opinions, and the entire roller coaster ride of breast cancer. Tigerlily provides much needed emotional support during this time.

This month, Tigerlily Foundation is hosting its premier Virtual Pink BOA 5K. We’d love you to join the Salon Khouri team between October 1 – 31, 2020. To join our team go to (insert our link). You can walk 1 

mile, run 3.2 miles or bike 11.8 miles. And, you can track and upload your results using your Apple Watch or FitBit. Be sure to share on social media with #TigerlilyFoundation and #SalonKhouriLove.

This October, Salon Khouri is donating $1 from every haircut we perform to Tigerlily Foundation.

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August 28, 2020  by

Our September Community Outreach Partner Just Hit This Amazing Milestone!

If you have been with us at Salon Khouri for some time you will recognize Ellie’s Hats, a nonprofit founded to brighten the day of children with cancer through donating not just hats but other items to children and their families. We chose Ellie’s Hats once again as our local non-profit community outreach partner for September 2020 and we will be donating $1 from every haircut to this amazing organization. 

In 2019, Ellie’s Hats launched an initiative, partnering with Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV), to identify five local families in need of financial support each month, and to donate $1,000 to those families. On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, Ellie’s Hats delivered five checks, pushing the organization’s total donations to a $100,000 milestone! 

In the words of founder, Jay Coakley, “More than anything, this [milestone] is a reflection of what is possible when we all come together to support a greater cause.” Dr. Christopher Lawlor, PSV Philanthropy Chair and Medical Director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, added, “Ellie’s Hats keeps our kids and their families covered, from the hats on their heads to the financial support in their homes. We are appreciative of their support. Ellie’s Hats understands the financial impact childhood cancer can have on families. They are always there with support.”  

Ellie’s Hats was founded as a 501 (c)(3) in 2014 after Ellie started kindergarten at the Woodburn Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. Ellie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in spring 2013. By the time she entered kindergarten she had lost most of her hair and was always wearing hats to school. 

Her teacher, Jay Coakley, noticed she had an affinity for ‘fun and cheery hats.’ He organized a hat drive to provide her with a broader selection of hats to wear and thus Ellie’s Hats was born. 

Please take a moment to visit the Ellie’s Hats website to see how you may be able to help.

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