Color for a Cause is supporting survivors of sexual assault

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - This month, you may notice people in the community walking around with a bold hairstyle as part of a campaign to show support for survivors during sexual assault awareness month.

The Bolton Refuge House (BRH) and Saylon Seven in Eau Claire are promoting their Color for a Cause campaign.

Katelyn Wonderlin, sexual assault victim advocate with BRH, said all you have to do to participate is wear a teal colored hair extension for the month of April.

“We want sexual assault to be something that people talk about and people are excited about supporting survivors and about working towards ending sexual assault,” Wonderlin said.

Saylon Seven hairstylist, Sabrina Spiegel, said it’s a fun way for community members to visibly show their support for sexual assault survivors.

“People come here all month long to get them put in. Hair extension pieces are easy to wear, they’re braided, they’re tied in with string. It’s just bringing that brightness and awareness in a colorful way,” Spigel said.

The ultimate goal of Color for a Cause is to let survivors know they’re not alone.

“There are a lot of survivors who are our friends, who are our family, who work with us, who talk to us at the store. So the more that we’re aware of sexual assault and how many people it impacts and how it impacts an entire community, the more that we can get attention on it and come up with a plan to both support people who have already survived sexual violence and also prevent it from happening,” Wonderlin said.

Spiegel said the salon is a safe space for survivors to share their stories.

“I feel like I can talk on behalf of all hairdressers that we get to hear all the stories and we know how to keep it very sensitive and positive and professional and just feel like honored that they felt safe to express like how and what had happened to them,” Spiegel said.

The teal hair extensions are only $10 and all proceeds go to the Bolton Refuge House.

If you’re interested in getting a teal extension you can make an appointment at Saylon Seven by calling (715) 836-7771. Hairstylists will also be available to put extensions in during the Packers Tailgate Tour on April, 11th. More information can be found here.

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