Hairstylist O’Donnell holding fundraiser for Habitat on March 25

Once a year, Catherine O’Donnell and her staff at Catherine's Hairstyling & Barbershop sharpen their scissors for charity.

Prior to COVID in 2020, O’Donnell and her team would put aside one day to provide haircuts, styles and shaves - no chemical services such as perms or highlighting - at the salon’s regular rate, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to a good local cause.

After a COVID hiatus, Catherine and her staff are back to their charitable ways and will hold Cuts for the Cause from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Catherine's Hairstyling & Barbershop at 360 Bruce St., all proceeds going to Habitat For Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area ReStore.

Appointments and walk-ins are welcome.

“This one has been three years in the making. I promised Habitat three years ago we would do a fundraiser for them, so we’re finally getting to do it now,” O’Donnell told SooToday.

“This time I was approached by one of my longtime clients who had been working with Habitat for quite a few years  and he asked if I would consider Habitat and I said absolutely.”

“I believe that the community gives so much to me during the year, so giving back one day is important. My main goal in choosing a place to give funds to is that it has to stay local to help out people in Sault Ste. Marie.”

Over the past few years, O’Donnell has held fundraisers for the Canadian Kidney Foundation, ALS research, Sault Area Hospital’s CT scan drive and the Soup Kitchen Community Centre.

Her most recent day of haircuts for charity prior to COVID was held in 2019 for ARCH.

O’Donnell and her crew raised $2,700 for the hospice.

She said she hopes to top that amount with the March 25 fundraiser for Habitat.

Guest stylist Leah Isosaari - a former employee of O’Donnell’s and now living in Wawa - will be returning with her hairstyling skills for the March 25 event.

“It makes me feel good to be getting back to normal life and the normal fun activities that we do,” O’Donnell said.

Catherine's Hairstyling & Barbershop can be reached at (705) 253-3411.