Cause Celeb highlights a celebrity’s work on behalf of a specific cause. This week we speak with television personality Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi about her involvement with Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Polizzi was recently a guest at the House of ALR Locks of Love charity event, which featured stylists and celebrities cutting hair on-site for donations, as well as a silent auction with proceeds going to Locks of Love.
Polizzi has gained fame thanks to her MTV reality show “Jersey Shore." Polizzi can now add author to her title; her debut novel, “A Shore Thing,” was released in January.
Interviewed by Brittany Fuerstenberg
Q: What made you want to come out and support this event?
Polizzi: House of ALR is a part of my dream team, as I like to call it. Antonio and Adam (hair stylists) make me look beautiful, and when they told me about the Locks of Love event they were holding, I just had to be a part of it! (laughs) I've always wanted to donate my hair to Locks of Love, and will in the future when my hair is longer.
Q: Are there any other charitable organizations that you are involved with?
Polizzi: Well, I just raised $6,000 for Donations of Love which is a charity for sheltered animals and I also donated $1,000 to the Popcorn Zoo. Other charities I'm a part of include (organizations for) burn victims of firefighters and adoption.
Q: Having finished shooting the third season of “Jersey Shore,” do you have any upcoming projects that you are working on?
Polizzi: My book "A Shore Thing" will be out in January, which I'm very excited about! Also, my slipper line is now selling at . [I am also] working on other projects that will hopefully be launching soon.
Q: Locks of Love works specifically with children who suffer from long-term medical hair loss in regaining a sense of self and confidence. Being someone who has dealt with image and self-confidence issues as a teenager and combated these issues, how does this make you feel?
Polizzi: I think Locks of Love really saves the confidence in cancer patients! They already have to deal with so much, and self-image should not be one of them. So the fact that we can give [them] their beauty back and put a smile on their face makes a huge difference!
Q: Having invented “the poof,” you must feel that hair is an important component to expressing one's individuality. That being said, why do you feel that it is important for people to donate both hair and money to this organization?
Polizzi: (Laughs) Hair shapes your whole face! Hair gives you confidence and makes you feel beautiful! You can set character with just hair alone, so being apart of [an] organization and seeing people donate hair and money to give back to the cancer patients is a blessing.
Q: Why do you think it is important for celebrities to be involved with charitable work?
Polizzi: I think [celebrities] are a huge help in charitable work, because we have a loud voice. We can get issues and things like this out to the public and make a huge impact!
Q: Have you had any memorable experiences while working with this organization?
Polizzi: I think the memorable moment would be at this event. I cut the hair of a donor who was just diagnosed with cancer. Very sad, but such an amazing heart the girl had, and an amazing moment for Locks of Love.
