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July 4, 2017  by

Alex Inspires Strength …

– Jennifer Elkhouri

Last March, we selected Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation as our March Community Outreach Partner. We shared with you the amazing grit this kiddo had since being diagnosed at age 5 with a Stage IV Wilms Tumor. On June 5th, 2016, we learned the heartbreaking news that Alex had passed after his 7 year battle with cancer. A part of us thinks he was beckoned to heaven by sweet Kate Rhoades for her 5th heavenly birthday so the two could be free, to bask in the glory of our creator — perfectly healed and perfectly whole. Hearing of Alex’s passing was a fierce kick in the gut, learning yet another precious child had lost their battle to the number one disease killer of children — one that is grossly underfunded in research and largely ignored by drug companies.

We love the mission of Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation and wanted to select them once again to be our Community Outreach Partner. The mission of AACCF is to raise awareness and funding for Childhood Cancer Research while providing Christian focused support to the Childhood Cancer Community. They do this through funding research for The Children’s Oncology Group, raising awareness at events such as Cure Fest, rallies and other events, and through their Prayer Pillowcase Project — handmade pillowcases embroidered with a bible verse that have been prayed over by those who make them.

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This July, we are donating $1 from every haircut to this unique, local non-profit. We would love to ask for your help, too! We are collecting fabric for AACCF to donate toward their Prayer Pillowcase Project. Please bring 1 yard pieces of a 100% cotton or a soft cotton blend to our Fairfax or Dulles locations this July.

We’ll also be practicing our push ups in the hopes we can once again join AACCF in trying to beat the Guinness World Record for the most people performing push ups at once. On April 8th, 2017, we attended the 1st attempt which had 1,108 people out of the needed 1,645 people to break the record! Why push ups? Hear the beautiful story shared by Jenni Green, Alex’s mom, on WGTS:

 

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May 8, 2017  by

Our May community outreach partner shares a few facts that can save your child’s life …

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Ashley Renee Thompson lost her life in a singular vehicular accident on June 10, 2003 — she was just sixteen years old. She was an advanced placement student, a competitive gymnast, and loved by her friends and peers. Her mother created The ART of Driving in memory of her daughter to increase awareness among teens and parents of the unique risks faced by young, novice drivers and to impress upon them the need for improved training, increased supervised time behind-the-wheel, and increased parental involvement. The ART of Driving is also advocating for improvements in driver education for our youth and seeks to change the mindset of teens and their parents that tragedies like this “won’t happen to me”.

Teen crash and fatality statistics are absolutely sobering:

  • 48% of all teen driving fatalities were single vehicle crashes.
  • Alcohol and drugs are NOT major causes for these fatalities – representing only 20%.
  • Inexperience and distractions are the leading cause of teen driving fatalities, particularly for 16 and 17-year-olds.
  • 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.
  • 80% of crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the crash.
  • The majority of teen auto fatalities occur on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Most of those deaths occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight.
  • 16 to 18-year-olds have the highest crash rate of any other age group.

So what can you do as a parent, grandparent, Godparent, Uncle, Aunt, friend to help save a child’s life? The Art of Driving has various resources to help. They can assist with starting a Teen Task Force at school or in a youth club or group. They will come speak at PTSA, Teen Night, Driver’s Education classes, SGA or any other interested group to help educate and enable our local youth to be more responsible and aware drivers.

We have once again partnered with The Art of Driving to raise money and awareness for this wonderful, local non-profit. We will be donating $1 from every haircut this May to The Art of Driving. There are a few ways you can help out as well:

  1. Register for the 3rd Annual Survive the 5 (with both 5k and 10k race options) to help raise awareness and support The Art of Driving educational programs and their scholarship fund.
  2. Have your child(ren) sign The Art of Driving Pledge.
  3. Purchase a copy of How the Firefly Got Its Name, written by Ashley when she was just twelve. (If your kids are too old for this book consider a purchase to donate to your local school library).

 

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March 1, 2017  by

Helping our neighbors who have suffered brain injuries.

BIS_Woodbridge-6Every day the unthinkable happens … a car accident, a fall, a stroke. For thousands of children and adults in our community who have sustained a brain injury, stroke, or concussion, navigating a way forward after these kinds of traumatic events can be challenging. Brain Injury Services is there to help and has taken a leadership role in developing community based services specifically for residents across Northern Virginia, Fredericksburg, and the surrounding counties who have sustained brain injuries. Each year, Brain Injury Services assists over 600 individuals and families to help build the skills and confidence they need to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

We encourage you to take five minutes to watch this video where you can meet and hear from our local neighbors who have been blessed by service from Brain Injury Services.

Our philosophy is simple: No two people are alike. And, since the brain defines each of us, controls how we think, move, act, and feel, no two brain injuries are alike. Brain Injury Services designs a plan based on the needs and goals of each individual. Whether it is finding Sherida a secure place to live or helping Katy’s family find their new normal, Brain Injury Services strives to help all of our clients achieve their best life and dream the impossible.

This March, Salon Khouri is donating $1 from every haircut from our Fairfax and Dulles locations to Brain Injury Services to help support our local brothers and sisters who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. Please take a moment to visit their website to learn more.

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December 9, 2016  by

A $10 gift card for a friend and $10 in Salon Khouri Rewards Points for YOU!

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Are you a Salon Khouri Enthusiast who would love to share Salon Khouri with friends and family … and even complete strangers? We absolutely LOVE our Salon Khouri Enthusiasts! Since 2005, you have helped us create amazing local jobs, give back to our community and have helped to create one of the top salons in Northern Virginia! We are so humbled by your continued support! Don’t forget that for every client you refer to Salon Khouri, they receive a $10 gift card toward their first visit. And you earn 10,000 Salon Khouri Loyalty Rewards points, equivalent to $10,  that you can use as cash to pay for Salon Khouri services or products!

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November 1, 2016  by

Ensuring meals for our neighbors in need

We are so blessed and honored to be able to support our community. It’s one of the things we love most about being entrepreneurs! This November, we have once again selected Dulles South Food Pantry (DSFP) for our community outreach partner for our Dulles Landing Location and we have selected Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) Food Pantry for our community outreach partner for our Fairfax location. Both non-profits serve by ensuring our neighbors have food on their tables. We will be donating $1 from every haircut in the month of November from our Fairfax location to WFCM and $1 from every haircut from our Dulles Landing location to DSFP.

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We just love what these two organizations are doing for our communities by providing the most basic of needs to our friends and neighbors. In 2015, WFCM served 889 households with 32,776 bags of free groceries. In 2015, Dulles South Food Pantry gave over 95,000 pounds of food to our neighbors in need.

In addition to donating a portion of our November proceeds, we will also be collecting food items for both WFCM (Fairfax location) and DSFP (Dulles Landing location). Please see a list of needs below and please bring in non expired items only. To thank you for your generosity, for every item you donate, you will be entered into a raffle to win a Kevin Murphy Treat.Me conditioning treatment!

 Items Needed for WFCM

  • Canned tuna, ham, chicken, turkey or beef
  • Canned fruit
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Cereal and oatmeal
  • Beans – canned or dried
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Pasta and pasta sauces
  • Rice (small bags or boxes)
  • Canned tomatoes – whole, diced, or stewed
  • 100% fruit juice
  • Flour, sugar, oil

 

 Items Needed for DSFP

  • Fruit (canned, plastic or dried)
  • Instant mashed potatoes
  • Gravy (cans, jars or dry packets)
  • Boxed shelf stable milk
  • Tomato products of all kind
  • Corn bread or corn muffin mix
  • Dry mixes for rolls or pie crust
  • Canned tuna, chicken or meat
  • Crispy fried onions
  • Yams
  • Cooking oils
  • Pancake or baking mix
  • Breakfast cereal and oatmeal
  • Breakfast bars, granola bars
  • Grocery store gift cards

 

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October 6, 2016  by

Tigerlily Foundation is making strides in the Metastatic Breast Cancer Field

Tigerlily logoWe are so happy to be once again partnering with Tigerlily Foundation, a local non-profit committed to educating young women around the world about breast cancer and empowering them to be their own best advocates. Tigerlily Foundation was founded by Maimah Karmo after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 32 years young. Thankfully, Maimah’s faith and tremendous family support got her through her treatments. She emerged on the other side a transformed woman and wanted to create an organization that would help other young women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Tigerlily Foundation recently partnered with Dr. Nikhil Wagle, of The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project, led by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a nonprofit academic research institution whose mission is to dramatically accelerate the understanding and treatment of disease. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project is taking a new approach to cancer research itigerlilyalertsn which researchers partner directly with patients, who share their samples and clinical information in order to speed important discoveries. The project is being launched and funded by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard — a non-profit academic research institution with a mission to dramatically accelerate the understanding and treatment of disease — and conducted in collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, and advocacy partners. The project’s goal is to reach out to patients with metastatic breast cancer around the country in order to study their cancer using cutting-edge genomic and molecular research studies performed at the Broad Institute by allowing patients to participate in these studies regardless of where they live. If you have been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer while you were 45 years or younger, you could help! Please visit the Tigerlily Foundation website to learn more. Additionally, you are invited to participate in the 5th Annual Young Women’s Breast Health Day on the Hill on Tuesday, 12/6/16.  The focus this year is related to metastatic breast cancer with Dr. Wagle participating. See the flyer below for more details.

This October, Salon Khouri will donate $1 from every haircut from our Fairfax and Dulles locations to Tigerlily Foundation. Additionally, we are participating in our 11th year of the Pink Hair for Hope campaign! Come in for a pink extension for $10 per strand with all proceeds going to breast cancer research funding through the Pink Hair for Hope project.

Tigerlily Foundation Young Women's Breast Health Day on the Hill

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August 9, 2016  by

Tattoo Tom vs the Volcano

We are proudly supporting local non-profit, Stillbrave Childhood Cancer Foundation again as our August Community Outreach partner by donating $1 from every haircut in the month of August from both our Fairfax and Dulles Landing locations!

The founder of Stillbrave, Tattoo Tom, is on a mission and we are honored to help. He is battling daily to provide non-medical, supportive care to children with cancer and their families. Stillbrave is committed to helping the families of children battling cancer in any way they can. While they are fighting the toughest war of their lives, Stillbrave will fight their lesser battles, so they don’t have to. To do this, Stillbrave relies on donations from the community, and Tom will do just about anything to help these kids, including auctioning off tattoo sponsorship on his body, to running in 50 mile, 100 mile and 200 mile ultra marathons. What we love the most about Tom, though, is his heart. He falls in love with the kids he supports and will do just about anything to bring a smile to their faces. He suffers when they suffer and celebrates their milestones. Tom knows personally how cancer can rip a parent apart. Cancer stole his daughter, Shayla, from him when she was just 16. Distraught and devastated, Tom thought, “why didn’t someone DO something.” Then he realized, “I am somebody.” Thus was born Stillbrave.tattoos-005

While they are fighting the toughest war of their lives, Stillbrave will fight their lesser battles, so they don’t have to.

On August 12-16, 2016, Tom will be once again participating in an ultra marathon to raise money for Stillbrave families. This one is the Bigfoot 200, a point to point traverse of some of the most wild trails in the Cascade Mountain range of Washington State. The race ends in Randle, WA after crossing the Cascade Mountains from Mount St. Helens to Mt. Adams and along ridge lines with views of volcanoes Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, and Mt Adams. It literally is Tattoo Tom vs. The Volcano.

What can you do to help?

  • Sponsor the fundraiser directly via Stillbrave.
  • Visit Salon Khouri the month of August for a haircut and we will donate $1 from every haircut from both locations.
  • Leave donations in the collection jars at Salon Khouri. All money donated will be added to the total as we aim to raise $1000 through our donations and yours.
  • Purchase a RAFFLE ticket – all money will help us reach our $1000 that we have pledged to Stillbrave. Tickets are just $1 and you could win a 60 minute Signature Facial or a haircut and blowdry with one of our amazing and talented stylists — you get to choose the prize! We will draw two winners. The more tickets you purchase, the higher your odds are to win!
  • Like us on Facebook to keep track of pop-up raffles, lemonade stands, etc. that we will be holding to help us reach our $1000 goal.
  • Pray for Tom’s safety as he participates in the Bigfoot 200!

We are here to help spread awareness and raise money for childhood cancer. We believe that our children, your children, deserve #MoreThan4. You see, out of the $4.9 billion dollar budget allocated to the National Cancer Institute, only 4% of that is allocated to childhood cancer research. And, a recent study by the World Health Organization shows a child is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes. Childhood cancer is not rare. Yet, there is very little funding on the pharma side and a minuscule amount of funding on the federal side. Our children deserve more and deserve funding for less toxic treatments. They also need local advocates like Tom, who will fight for them, providing daily essentials to their families helping them through the childhood cancer battlefield.

 

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April 8, 2016  by

Join us at the Rust & Ruffles Flea Market

Join us on Friday, April 29th from 10 AM – 8 PM at the Rust and Ruffles Flea Market in Aldie, VA. Just browse below to see some of the adorable items that will be available in time for Mother’s Day! Please RSVP here.

Hope Candle

We will be on hand doing mini makeovers, hand massages and on-the-spot complimentary consultations. And, we will have our amazing, handcrafted body massage candles as well. The cute, custom pillow, yup, you can pick up your own custom pillows from Burlap and Badges at the event as well!

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Sweet little skirts from Burlap & Badges!

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Galvanized tins from Flight of Fancy!

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Farmhouse chic gifts from Girl Garage Designs!

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Handcrafted Body Massage candles from Salon Khouri!

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Custom signs from Burlap and Badges!

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April 7, 2016  by

On a Journey 4 a Cure …

04.12.16: We wanted to share this sad news about Casey’s family. On March 28th, their home was burglarized. The thieves took a lock box from their home which contained not only photo CDs of their family photos, but also Casey’s ashes. We are praying that Casey’s ashes are returned home. The Truth 365 shared this news on their Facebook page. Please share the story on Facebook. The more people who see it, the more chances there are that Casey’s ashes will be returned to the Kropf’s.

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Sweet Declan Carmical was diagnosed with AT/RT when he was just eight months old. We learned of Declan in 2009, when we were rallying behind Taylor Love, another local child diagnosed with cancer. We were quickly learning that childhood cancer is not rare.

Sadly, Declan lost his battle on August 18, 2010, just 8 days shy of his first birthday. Just one year later, one of our friends lost their sweet 14 month old,Casey Kropf, to the same cancer (AT/RT). Childhood cancer is taking too many children from loved ones. We hope to do everything we can to raise funds and awareness for local non-profits who are working toward a cure.

Journey 4 A Cure was created in memory of Declan to raise awareness, fund research and help families battling this horrible disease. Their objectives are to:

  • Enable cutting-edge pediatric cancer research
  • Inform the community about the realities of pediatric cancer, the statistics and funding inequities, and encourage public policy reform.
  • Enhance the quality of life for children currently undergoing cancer treatment.
  • Encourage families of children currently undergoing cancer treatment.

We will be donating $1 from every haircut in the month of April to this amazing, local non-profit in memory of Declan and Casey.

J4AC

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February 2, 2016  by

Ellie’s Hats: Inspired by a spunky red-head … what’s not to love about that?

Ellie’s Hats is a Northern Virginia Non-Profit who seeks to bring joy and help to local families whose children are battling cancer. Ellie’s Hats was inspired by a sweet NoVa girl, Ellie Whitfield, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the Spring of 2013. After losing her hair from chemotherapy, Ellie began to wear different fun hats to school to help express her personality. Her P.E. teacher, Jay Coakley, noticed her affinity for “fun and cheery hats” and organized a hat drive to provide Ellie with a broader selection of hats to wear – and thus was born Ellie’s Hats! Thousands of children across the country now receive new hats through Ellie’s Hats.

In addition to providing joy to kids battling cancer by providing unique, fun hats, Ellie’s Hats collects gift cards and other items to give to local families whose children are battling cancer. Also, in 2014, Ellie’s Hats worked closely with Team Mathias to introduce a Cure Childhood Cancer License Plate in honor of Mathias Giordano to help spread awareness about childhood cancers. Mathias, diagnosed in 2012 with Osteosarcoma, inspired thousands through his determined cheer, his powerful courage and his extreme kindness. Mathias passed after a 28 month battle in December 2014.

Ellie's Hats

This February, Salon Khouri will be donating $1 from every haircut from both our locations to Ellie’s Hats. Please take a moment to learn more about this wonderful organization. Please visit their website to see how you can help by knitting a hat or donating to this local, Northern Virginia non-profit.

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