Published: October 02, 2008 12:13 am      

Clip for the Cure

Activities set to raise money for battle against breast cancer

FAIRMONT — Barbara Kniceley has a lot to live up to when she plans Saturday’s Clip for the Cure event to raise money for breast cancer research.

The Regis Salon she manages at Middletown Mall has been the No. 1 fund raiser for the past five years.

“It makes me feel wonderful if I can help with research for any type of cancer,” Kniceley said.

When Regis began the event 15 years ago and asked salons to pitch in, Kniceley had no problem getting motivated for the cause. Her mother died from breast cancer, and her mother-in-law and sister are survivors.

“I want to do this for my daughter,” she said. “Both of her grandmothers had breast cancer. The money for research may help her generation.”

Kniceley and her employees raise money by charging $15 for a shampoo, cut and blow dry or $10 for a haircut-only option and donating all the proceeds — working for free — to the cause. That portion takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

“They’re OK with it,” Kniceley said. “It’s once a year. One day a year is not going to make or break you.”

But Kniceley does not rely solely on hair cutting to raise money. She charges vendors a fee to participate and sell items, and this year products will include Longaberger baskets, Avon and Tupperware.

“We’re also going to have some flea market people here,” she said.

She also holds raffles, using donated items. This year, people can buy chances on a Pittsburgh Steelers package that includes an autographed photo of wide receiver Hines Ward; a Fairmont State University basket that includes season basketball tickets as well as other FSU items; and a signed football from West Virginia University.

“We also have a bake sale and a 50/50 drawing,” Kniceley said.

People also can buy vouchers for haircuts that can be done between Oct. 20 and Nov. 6.

“You bring in the voucher and the haircut is paid for,” Kniceley said. “The money off the vouchers goes to breast cancer research.”

Kniceley also gets sponsorships and help from area businesses. Grease Monkey donates $3 for every oil change done on that day. All the calling around for sponsors and donations has worked — Kniceley raised $7,000 last year and nearly $8,000 the year before.

The event also appears to be getting bigger, thanks to some help from the Middletown Mall. Rick K. & the All Nighters will kick things off with a concert beginning around 7 p.m. today at center court near the Subway entrance. The $5 donation collected at the door goes toward Clip for the Cure, said Betty Schmidt, marketing director for Middletown Mall.

“It’s a great cause,” Schmidt said.

In 2003, 181,646 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 41,619 died from the disease, according to the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).

Plus, the mall has bigger plans for next year. In July, the mall also hosted a breast cancer research fund raiser called Pink Ladies All Night. Next year, the event will be moved to the Sunday after Clip for the Cure, and Schmidt also is trying to organize a poker run to take place on the Friday of next year’s weekend, to provide four full days of fund-raising activities.

“We’ll make a whole weekend of it,” she said.

This year’s Pink Ladies Night Out featured Zumba and martial arts classes, a memory wall, vendors plus massages and a chiropractor, plus a game show based on Hollywood Squares called Celebrity Squares, with prizes including a weekend at Stonewall Resort, $450 worth of car services and more. This year’s event began at 9:30 p.m. after the mall closed, so moving it to Sunday will allow for an earlier start time, too.

“There were people that wanted to come but that don’t go out that late,” Schmidt said.

E-mail Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.