On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Razing Hair Salon in Bayport held their annual night of celebration and solidarity with the Town of Islip’s initiative to “Go Purple” for the month of September for addiction awareness.
Razing Hair owner Chris Cook is himself a recovering alcoholic, who boasts 24 years of sobriety this year. “It’s so important to let people know they have support and erase the stigma of the disease,” Cook said. “Kids especially need to know they have people they can turn to in their community.”
Cook showed great support in conjunction with the Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce in supporting board member, Dorothy Johnson, who heads the Great South Bay Coalition.
The Great South Bay Coalition started after Johnson lost her beloved son, Max, to opioid addiction 10 years ago.
While Islip Goes Purple is a townwide initiative, Johnson has been instrumental in working with local leaders—civic, business, and government—to raise awareness and put resources into place for those battling opioid addiction.
“When I was going through the process of helping my son, and ultimately losing him, there wasn’t any information out there,” said a tearful Johnson as she recalled her somber journey. “After his passing, I vowed I would help others so they wouldn’t be in the same situation.”
For the whole month of September, Razing Hair will be putting in purple extensions gratis. Johnson feels this is a way to stimulate and facilitate conversations about drug use and its consequences into the neighborhood.
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