Hair Affair and the Canadian Brewhouse are collaborating to give a nominated Chestermere resident having a difficult time due to COVID-19 a makeover and night out.
“During these exceedingly difficult times, so many of us have been impacted negatively financially, mentally, and physically. People are doing their best to keep it together and go through this pandemic and many people have suffered silently,” said Hair Affair Owner, Sandra Strbac.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Strbac has had a difficult time offering her services to the community, along with local restaurants.
“I have not been alone in this struggle. The restaurant industry, and many other businesses, have also suffered greatly, and now more than ever it is so important to have the community support. I felt a strong need to want to give back to someone who also has been struggling and shows that we as business owners also care about our residents and need them just as much as residents need our services,” Strbac said.
Strbac is now giving a Chestermere resident the opportunity to have a complete hair makeover followed by a night out at the Canadian Brewhouse in Chestermere.
“I want that person to feel treated like a queen that day and to enjoy some personal services that may have been neglected or simply were not attainable. I wanted that person to feel that even though we are limited to what we can do, there are also other businesses in Chestermere doing their best to be available to residents,” she said.
When Strbac brought her idea to the manager of the Canadian Brewhouse, Breanne Mills, she was extremely excited to give back to the community.
“When I told her my idea her reaction was immediately ‘I’m in, let’s do this. What a great idea,’ she then suggested we add makeup artist Samantha Lees into the project to do a full face of makeup to complete the look. This will be a full day of personal pampering followed by a wonderful meal at the Canadian Brewhouse,” Strbac said.
For Strbac, as a Chestermerian and business owner, it was extremely important to show support for the community that has supported her and her business, while also featuring woman entrepreneurs through the initiative.
“The community has always been incredibly supportive to me throughout the years, and I want to give back to the wonderful community we live in. I also want to bring some awareness to the wonderful businesses we have in our own community,” Strbac said.
Through the initiative, Strbac is also breaking the misconception that home-based salons are in a dark and dingy basement.
“Hair Affair Chestermere is completely licensed and has always followed all the rules from Alberta Health Services (AHS). It is bright with a lot of natural light. All my appointments are always booked one on one and during the last salon closure in December I completed an Infections Control course. I want my clients to know that all steps have been taken to keep them safe and feel comfortable in the salon and I have gone over and above to follow all the measures placed on our industry,” Strbac said.
“I wanted the recipient of this to have a complete day off and I know that the food industry has also been hit hard due to the COVID-19 restrictions. This was a no-brainer for me to want to reach out to another business in Chestermere to make this a full package deal. Despite all the restrictions put on them, they are still doing everything possible to service our community and keep some normalcy in people’s everyday lives,” she said.
Chestermerians are encouraged to nominate another Chestermere resident who deserves a night out. All nominations can be submitted to hairaffair@live.ca.
All nominees must live in Chestermere, they must be willing to have changes made to their hair including a color application and haircut.
The makeover and night out is scheduled for May 1. Hair will begin at 1 p.m., followed by the makeup application, and then dinner will be at 7 p.m.
The day is non-negotiable, and the recipient will need to make herself available for that day.
The nominations will be open until April 29 at 6 p.m. The winner will be notified and announced on the morning of April 30.
“If you know of anyone who has a hard time and could use a special day to cheer them up, please submit a nomination for that person explaining why they deserve to win this. Once the nomination deadline closes, I will read through the nominations and make a decision from there,” Strbac said.
The winner of the makeover and date night can expect a complete hair makeover valued at $350, a full-face makeup application, a date night dinner for her, and a guest of her choice at the Canadian Brewhouse patio reserved especially for her around the fire table valued at a $150, with a bottle of champagne.
The person who submits the nomination will also receive a gift basket to say thank you for the nomination. Inside there will be a bottle of wine, wine glass, a $25 gift card for Hair Affair Chestermere, hair products, a $25 gift card for the Brewhouse, and additional prizes.
“This initiative will show residents that we have amazing services available to them right in Chestermere. It will show that businesses also care about the residents and that we try our best to always give back to the community. It will also show people that there are business owners who are following all measures to ensure their patrons’ safety and that people don’t have to be scared to leave their homes,” Strbac said.
“You can still enjoy having your personal services done and a dinner out with your family. There are quite a few places in Chestermere that have beautiful patios so why not take advantage and enjoy some sunshine while you’re at it,” she added. “We are in this together and we couldn’t keep going without our loyal clients, so thank you.”
For more information on Hair Affair, visit www.hairaffairchestermere.com, Canadian Brewhouse at www.thecanadianbrewhouse.com, and makeup artist Samantha Lees, who is contracted with NARS, Estee, and MUFE, visit https://www.instagram.com/samantha.k.lees/?hl=en.
