Buckhead businesses donate a day of pampering
In 2016, the Maria Heckscher Salon, along with Labels Resale Boutique and Portofino restaurant, hosted a contest called The Season of Giving. The businesses, all on Paces Ferry Place in Buckhead, wanted to treat a deserving person to a day of pampering at the salon and provide gift cards for clothes at Labels and dinner for two at Portofino.
“We created a form asking for nominees on mhsalon.com and on our Facebook page,” says Robyn Ware, the salon’s publicist, who spearheaded the project. “We received more than 45 nominees whose stories were so heart-wrenching, we had a difficult time choosing a winner.”
The three shop owners eventually selected Deborah Sims of McDonough. Along with tending to her dying partner who was in hospice, she had used her own money to feed the homeless and distribute toys to underprivileged kids for years through her nonprofit Sweet Serenity Inc. “My mate of 25 years died the weekend before I got the call that I had received a day of pampering,” says Sims. “I was very honored, but had mixed emotions because I couldn’t share it with him.” Instead, she chose Monique Hart, the friend who had nominated her, to share the day.
Nominations for this year’s The Season of Giving contest close Nov. 26, and the winner will be picked by Dec. 1.
For more information, or to nominate someone, visit: mhsalon.com/news.
