FERGUS – On Oct. 17 Carrie Anne Kierstead handed a giant cheque worth $4,000 to Sara Felske, senior fundraising and relationship manager for the Heart and Stroke Foundation West Region.
The donation brings Kierstead’s five-year total to over $17,000.
The owner of Hair with Care, a hair salon on St. Patrick Street in Fergus, has for the past five years organized a fall bazaar to raise funds for Heart and Stroke.
This year’s event was on Sept. 7, and she moved it indoors at the Fergus Legion, which was a smart move, she said.
“We didn’t have to worry about the weather and setting up tents,” she said. “It made it much easier to manage.”
She felt compelled to organize the annual fundraiser after her father Dan Kierstead died from a heart attack in 2016, she said during an interview at the salon, where she’s been located for five years.
And she’s overwhelmed with the generosity of the community, vendors and local businesses that provided raffle prizes for the event.
“It’s a cool way to fundraise,” Felske said.
“We work with people across Ontario who fundraise for us. A lot of people do it in memory of a loved one. About 300 individuals across the province hold events for Heart and Stroke.
She added, “This one is special to me. My dad was a hairstylist and all the smells in this salon make me think of him.”
Kierstead is celebrating her business’ 10th anniversary this year and is looking forward to next year’s vendor market.
