CLEVELAND — UPDATE! We have some exciting news! The campaign has already exceeded the goal of raising at least $25,000 -- but they're not done yet! Donate to the fundraiser HERE.
“We raised $25,000 in just 12 days," explains 3News' Danielle Wiggins of her partnership with author Regina Brett and The Gathering Place to create the traveling wig salon for cancer patients in Northeast Ohio. "Now we move on to phase two, which will be purchasing the van, retrofitting it into a mobile wig salon and filling it with beautiful wigs women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds will be happy to wear."
Below are details from our original story as posted on March 2:
They call it a "cancerversary."
It’s a milestone that cancer warriors never forget -- but it’s different for everyone.
For 3News anchor Danielle Wiggins, it’s March 22. The day she underwent surgery for breast cancer.
When she was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer at just 40 years old, she decided three things:
- She wanted to live
- She didn’t want cancer to define her
- She wanted her story to help others
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on March 3, 2023.
That’s when she and 3News launched the Do It for Danielle campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer, self exams and early detection.
“The biggest thing I want people to do... take your health seriously, ” Wiggins said back in 2022.
After her diagnosis, Wiggins also reconnected with her former co-worker, Regina Brett. The two share much more than a cancer diagnosis, they also share a passion to give back.
Brett decided she wanted to mark her 25th cancerversary by helping others and thought Wiggins would be the perfect person to partner with.
"I like the idea of celebrating 'cancerversaries' because when you first get diagnosed, you don't know if you're going to be around a year later or even months later," Brett said. "I think we got to celebrate all those big wins. And I like the idea of celebrating so other people get the benefit, too. Not just me."
That's why Brett and Wiggins are teaming up with The Gathering Place to create a traveling wig salon called The Sisterhood of the Traveling Wigs.
“I called the new CEO of The Gathering Place, Michele Seyranian, and asked what they needed most. They want to bring The Gathering Place out into the community, to create a traveling wig salon that could go to the inner city or wherever it’s needed most to deliver wigs, support programs and hope,” Brett said in a recent column on ClevelandJewishNews.com.
But they need your help. Donations are now being accepted for the cause HERE.
Watch an extended conversation with Wiggins and Brett in the video below:
“Although going through a cancer journey was traumatic, the people around me and the support and resources they provided helped me persevere through dark days,” Wiggins said. “The past year has instilled a conviction in me to to do what I can to help other cancer warriors.”
The fundraiser, which started on Brett’s cancerversary, will end on Wiggins' cancerversary on March 22. Their goal was to raise at least $25,000 -- which was reached as of March 8. But they're not done yet. Donations are still being collected to support additional elements of the initiative like purchasing the van.
“Thank you to all of you who donated," said 3News' Danielle Wiggins while sharing an update on the fundraiser as of March 9. "Hopefully we can continue to raise money to now stock the van, purchase the van, refurbish it and stock it with some really great wigs. You can continue to donate because we want to help all of the women facing cancer so they can feel more like a person and not a patient – and they can feel beautiful in a beautiful wig.”
Editor's note: Video in the player above, which features an extended conversation between Brett and Wiggins, was originally published in a previous story on May 17, 2022.