PARIS – Anyone looking for a new ‘do or some style advice may want to submit their name for one of three free makeovers being offered as part of the Spring Fling Fashion Show this April.
Makeover winners will first be handed over to Chris Allen of the Color Works Hair Studio in Paris. Allen will give participants new haircuts, coloring and styles before jazzing up their makeup and sending them off for style advice and new wardrobes.
Allen said Wednesday that she does hair shows all the time, and was happy to donate her services. “It was the only way I could contribute,” she said, explaining that she’s too busy to actually help with the fashion show.
The show is being staged through the joint efforts of the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline, or REACH, and the Maine Women’s Network.
REACH Executive Director Shari Smith said Wednesday that she hopes proceeds from the event will help with efforts to pay off a $19,000 debt and establish an emergency fund for the organization, which is based in Paris.
The fund, Smith said, “will help us be sure that we have the resources whenever there’s a delay in funding.”
The crisis center was forced to close its doors for a short time after difficulties with an application for $129,000 in state funding in November. While that money was delayed, the organization also experienced cuts in other state funding.
Smith said REACH needs to step up its fund-raising efforts so it doesn’t experience similar problems in the future and can expand its programming.
“Our budget is about $200,000 a year, and that includes a big chunk of in-kind work,” she said. The organization considers the equivalent of $43,800 worth of hours donated by volunteers when figuring its budget. Other budget sources include state and federal grants and donations from area towns, United Way and individuals, Smith said.
The fashion show will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. April 28 at the Four Seasons Function Center in Paris. Fashions from area businesses will be modeled by local people, and the event also will include a dessert buffet and silent auction.
To find out more about the show, learn how to participate as a sponsor or submit a name for the makeover, people may contact Smith at 743-9777 or by e-mail at [email protected].
REACH is a sexual assault support center serving Oxford County and the towns of Harrison and Bridgton. In 2004, volunteer advocates and staff members assisted 160 individuals and provided awareness education that included anti-bullying presentations to more than 3,000 students.
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