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A Few Clouds and Breezy Styling for cancer research in Oceanside
When Nancy Schawelson Friedman was losing her hair from chemotherapy treatment she went to Hair Expo Salon and Day Spa at the Sands Shopping Center to have her head shaved. It took two minutes, and she was charged $30. Friedman expressed her dissatisfaction with the price on Facebook. The salon contacted her and said they would hold an event to raise money for breast cancer research.
On July 8 owner Mario Gentile and his staff made good on that promise with the help of the Oceanside Herald, the Oceanside Fire Department, Assemblyman Brian Curran, and a committee of friends and supporters. About 150 people came and together they raised over $2,000 for the James F. Holland Research Fund at Mount Sinai Hospital. In addition now cancer patients can get their first cut and first wig styling for free at Hair Expo.
“The best thing about it to me is how the community came out and helped,” said Friedman. “And they have rallied. They keep telling me ‘Don’t worry about it, you’re one of us.’ And that to me is the most beautiful part of the whole story.”
Many residents, more than 30 local businesses and her “committee” — Gilat Nahum, Michael D’Ambrosio, Jeff Novack, Susanne Wolff Colten, Diane Saviano, Susan Wolk, Melissa Sexter Lewis, Mark Mirsky, Kelly Gallagher, Diane Collins, Frank Morizio and Rhonda Glickman — gave their time and resources to make the event even bigger.
Friedman worked for the Herald Newspapers as a sales representative for 16 years. The Herald donated advertising space for this event.
She wants women to know that they should get a mammogram every year. “I’m a walking advertisement,” she said. “If I had waited two years like they said you should I would have died.”
She credits Zwanger-Pesiri for catching her cancer at an early mammogram. Now she has to go through 22 weeks of chemotherapy — every other week for 11 weeks and once a week for another 11 weeks. Her husband, Howard, has lung cancer. They spend their time driving to doctors.
Before treatment made it too difficult, Friedman was a volunteer at Atria Tanglewood in Lynbrook, where she would play games trivia with the senior citizen residents. She would teach them how to use apps, which would surprise their grandchildren.
