Many Sask Polytech students were cutting hair to raise money for the Victoria Hospital Foundation Give a Little Life Day. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Giving Back

Students provide services to fundraise for VHF’s Give a Little Life Day

Nov 29, 2019 | 1:24 PM

The Saskatchewan Polytechnic Salon and Spa at the Prince Albert campus are raising money today for the Victoria Hospital Foundation’s (VHF) Give a Little Life Day on Dec. 6.

Students of the hairstylist and esthetician programs will be offering services throughout the day until 4 p.m.

Fifty per cent of sales at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Salon and Spa will go to the Victoria Hospital Foundation.

Louise Benson, program head for the three programs, said since all the donations for Give a Little Life Day stay within the community students think it’s a worthy cause.

She said some of the services include haircuts, styling, hair treatments, eyebrow waxing, manicures, pedicures, facials and eyebrow and eyelash tinting.

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“All of our students work as partners in the back and when they move to the front, they work on actual customer service,” she said. “So, we have an actual working salon and a working spa, so it’s all ran by students.”

Benson said they decided to get involved with Give a Little Life Day because they have a close connection with the community. Students do practicums and are employed once they’re done school in Prince Albert.

“This was an awesome opportunity for us to provide services back to our community for helping support Saskatchewan Polytechnic,” Benson said. “I think everybody has connections to our local hospital. Every student, every family member, every employee and if we can find anyway to provide something back to the hospital, we’re going to try to do it.”

This years Give a Little Life Day will focus on cardiac health and Benson said they have personal connections with the cardiac unit.

“We know they’re buying new equipment and technology to help with the patients with cardiac failure,” she added.

They have students who are fully booked for the day but still have some openings. She recommended to call in to make an appointment, but they do take walk-ins as well. The services are at a discounted price since they don’t pay students to work. A haircut is available for $12.

“We’re excited. It’s a big event. We got students out in the hallway and we’d encourage anybody to pop in,” she added. “We’ve been working at it for a while and organizing getting things read.”

They’re also accepting donations anyone who don’t have time to stop in for services.

Colette Harnett, who is on the Victoria Hospital Foundation board was at the event getting a haircut.

“I needed a haircut and when I saw that SIAST was fundraising for the Give a Little Life Day. I was like ‘What a perfect idea,’” she said.

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ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @iangustafson12