Much attention has been focused on why the gunman killed eight people and wounded another in the worst mass shooting in Orange County history. Much less attention has been focused on the victims who were left behind. These are the hair stylists, other staffers and clients inside Salon Meritage in Seal Beach the afternoon of Oct. 12; they are now without jobs or too traumatized to work. This is the wife of a man who had recently been laid off from his job making a call in his car when the gunman took him out. These are the family members of others senselessly snuffed out. After the jump, five ways you can help these folks . . .
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Through 3 p.m. today, you can devour a full chicken dinner–two pieces of bird, corn on the cob, rice and beans–for $10 at the original La Casa Garcia in Anaheim. Owner Frank Garcia will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the families of Seal Beach shooting victims (via the town's police department). It's no big deal for Garcia, who is the founder of Orange County's biggest Thanksgiving turkey giveaway. La Casa Garcia is at 531 W. Chapman Ave. Vamanos!
Several Orange County shops have already hosted cut-a-thons, and more are on the way. All proceeds go to the families of victims. The Studio Salon, 416 S. Anaheim Hills Road, Anaheim Hills, holds one from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Stylists are asking for a $20 donation in
exchange for haircuts. Salons along Main Street in Seal Beach hold cut-a-thons from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. There's also a cut-a-thon that day at House of Synergy Salon and Spa, 4126 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach–and besides a haircut you'll get a chair massage with your donation to victim families.
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The Career Academy of Beauty, 12471 Valley View St.,
Garden Grove, is donating $5 from every facial to victim families.
Facials start at $23 for a European, and increase for additional
treatments. And that's nothing: the academy is also donating 100 percent
of proceeds from every haircut, which is $12.95 and includes
conditioner and a blow-dry. Phone 714.897.3010 about an appointment or
visit caofb.com.
Dave Caouette was sitting in his ride placing a cell-phone
call before heading into Patty's Place next to the Salon Meritage for
lunch when he was fatally shot. He'd recently been laid off from his
job, so restaurant owner Patty Sesler wants to help Paula Caouette, the
wife of the restaurant regular. Leave something extra with your bill (or
just give outright) at Patty's Place, 500 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal
Beach.
The city of Seal Beach, the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce and Watson & Associates, the owners of the building that houses Salon Meritage, have created a trust to coordinate donations and distribution to shooting victims Contributions can be made at Bank of America, 208 Main St., Seal Beach, the chamber office at 201 Eighth St., Seal Beach, or online at sealbeachchamber.org. As we've previously blogged, the family of slain salon owner Randy Fannin have also set up a website: salonmeritagefund.org. It's now coordinating donations with the city/chamber trust. Splash Salon set up a fund through Wells Fargo. Give to the Seal Beach Victims Relief Fund-Splash
Salon at a Wells Fargo branch or at Splash, 9807 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.