Local business fights cancer with pink wigs, party

"BigWig" Jason Flowers, with Office Furniture Warehouse, shows off his pink wig and dyed pink beard, part of the business's fundraising efforts to end breast cancer. (Contributed photo)
"BigWig" Jason Flowers, with Office Furniture Warehouse, shows off his pink wig and dyed pink beard, part of the business's fundraising efforts to end breast cancer. (Contributed photo)
photo Jason Flowers, at right, of Office Furniture Warehouse, wears his pink wig in a meeting with other local "BigWigs," representatives raising funds to end breast cancer. (Contributed photo)

This Friday, real men won't just wear pink; they'll turn their hair the color, too.

On Friday, June 23, Office Furniture Warehouse will celebrate its nine-year anniversary by hosting a fundraising party for worldwide nonprofit Susan G. Komen to aid in the fight against breast cancer.

The event will wrap up the Chattanooga-based office furniture dealer's month-long fundraising efforts, part of Komen's "BigWigs" campaign. The campaign invited local corporate and community leaders to raise at least $1,000 for the cause while wearing flagrant, hot-pink wigs to raise awareness as "BigWigs."

Five Chattanoogans have answered the call and donned the hairpieces, but the furniture dealer has gone bigger on both accounts.

In addition to flaunting his new pink wig, Jason Flowers, Office Furniture Warehouse's vice president of operations, dyed his beard bright pink for the month. With the help of the rest of his team, he has also pledged to raise $9,000 for the campaign to celebrate the business's ninth birthday.

"In addition to my personal experience, I believe the cause is important because of the widespread impact on families and communities," said Flowers, whose mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor. "We choose to support Susan G. Komen because of their practical focus and local allocation of resources, and [Office Furniture Warehouse's] work with Susan G. Komen has been an opportunity to give back to the community from which we've grown."

So far, he said, the business has raised about $3,500 toward its goal, and the staff hopes to raise the rest during the fundraiser this week. The celebration will introduce the community to the local BigWigs expected to attend, as well as give all attendees the chance to become honorary BigWigs themselves. Party-goers will be able to step into a photo booth wearing provided pink wigs and snap pictures to memorialize their support.

Guests are encouraged to make a donation of $15 for food, adult beverages and a raffle, which will go toward the $9,000 goal.

All proceeds from the BigWigs campaign will be used to support research to find cures for breast cancer, as well as ensure access to essential breast health services and education programs, with 75 percent of those funds directed to the Chattanooga's Susan G. Komen affiliate to provide such services locally.

"It's a great opportunity if you're looking to impact local causes," Marley Lentz, Office Furniture Warehouse's marketing coordinator, said of the weekend event. "And we owe it to the community. We've thrived on the relationships we've been fortunate enough to build, and we want everyone to celebrate with us because we owe it to them."

The event will be held at 1900 Stuart St. from 5:30-8 p.m. To add your name to the invitation list or donate to Office Furniture Warehouse's goal, visit info.ofwllc.com/komen-bigwigs.

Upcoming Events