By Emily Younker
eyounker@joplinglobe.com
Eian McCracken, 3, squirmed and fidgeted while Dianna Beaver, owner of Styles Salon, trimmed and styled his hair.
But he perked up when he saw the finished product: His hair had been styled to stick up slightly in the center of his head, resembling a little mohawk.
Eian and his brother, 5-year-old Aiden, might have been the only ones requesting a mohawk. They joined about 30 others who sought haircuts at Styles Salon in Joplin on Sunday afternoon to help with Haiti relief efforts.
The three-hour session, called “Haircuts for Haiti,” was created by Beaver after a staff meeting during which Styles employees discussed ways to help Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake. Stylists on Sunday offered their hair and nail services, and the customers’ payments — more than $600 — will go to Haiti through the Red Cross, Beaver said.
The event was a great way for the community to donate because “haircuts are something they’d have to pay for anyway,” Beaver said.
Beaver said the salon began getting phone calls about the event last week, and the first customers pulled into the parking lot almost an hour before Styles was scheduled to open Sunday.
“It gave me goose bumps to see people eager to help,” she said.
Styles cosmetologist Christina Venturella said she wasn’t trying to raise a specific dollar amount for Haiti; she just wanted to raise as much as possible.
“I just decided that whatever I raised would be more than what they started with,” she said. “Hopefully it’ll inspire people to do the same.”
Stylist Alicia Latta said she was trying to give “as much as we can” to the Red Cross.
“I think it’s very important (for) people to give and donate,” she said. “We might be more fortunate than what they are over there, so it’s a really good thing (to give to relief efforts).”
Scott McClure, of Joplin, said he has cut his own hair for the past five years. But when he saw “Haircuts for Haiti” advertised on a sign in front of the salon last week, he decided to take the stylists up on their offer.
“I thought it would be a good time to let somebody else start cutting my hair again,” he said.
McClure said it was “fantastic” that Styles employees were donating their time and giving the day’s fees to Haiti.
“Somebody had a great idea,” he said, “and it looks like it’s working out pretty well. This place is pretty busy.”
Pam McCracken, Aiden and Eian’s grandmother and a regular Styles client, said it was “wonderful” of the salon to put on the event for Haiti.
“It’s great of them to do it, to take their day off,” she said. “It’s the kind of person she (Beaver) is.”
Earthquake relief
Along with continuing efforts in Haiti, the American Red Cross has pledged an initial $50,000 for aid to Chile. A magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck Saturday off the coast of Chile.
