TEMECULA, Calif. — (September 10, 2024) – Spa Pechanga announces the return of their Mane Campaign this October, now in its 10th year. Anyone with long hair and a big heart is encouraged to come to the spa at Pechanga Resort Casino to cut and donate at least eight inches of their locks. The program offers free haircuts and hairstyles for anyone willing to make the cut. The hair goes to be made into wigs given free of charge to those who have lost theirs battling cancer. Hair donors can make an appointment for their donation cut for any Monday in October between 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in October beginning Oct. 7 and running through Oct. 28 at Spa Pechanga.

Each donor will be given a voucher to have their hair further cut and styled for free at the Smith Hair Salon in Temecula. To make an appointment to donate, call (951) 770-8501 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

To put on the 10th Annual Mane Campaign, Spa Pechanga bands together with Hair We Share, Paul Mitchell The School Temecula and Smith Hair Salon. All hair donations go to the Hair We Share organization. Hair We Share provides free, real-hair wigs to eligible men, women and children with breast cancer and other medical hair loss conditions.

Here’s how to sign up to donate:
• Haircut donation appointments at Spa Pechanga may be made now through October 28 by calling (951) 770-8501.
• Appointments will be taken on Mondays in October from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Spa Pechanga. Donors’ hair will be measured and cut by cosmetology students from Paul Mitchell The School Temecula under direction of an expert instructor.
• Donors receive a voucher for a free haircut and style to Smith Hair Salon in Temecula near the Promenade Mall.
The Mane Campaign encourages men, women and children who can donate eight or more inches of naturally colored (not harsh chemically colored or bleached) hair. Gray hair is now accepted.

Pechanga Resort Casino also sends a $50 contribution to Hair We Share in care of each hair donor. Each donor will be entered to win a Pechanga Getaway package to include a two-night luxury hotel stay, day passes for two to Spa Pechanga and a $200 food and beverage credit.

The Mane Campaign coincides with October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Our team is committed to shedding light on the need for hair donations through Pechanga’s Mane Campaign,” said Vicky Naputi, Spa Pechanga Director. “The campaign has touched each and every one of us. We’ve seen so much love, tears and strength from the donors and from breast cancer patients through our programs and because of that, we want to make this year’s campaign even better.”

By including a salon from the Temecula area and the area’s local cosmetology school, more potential donors can be reached. “It’s a great opportunity for the students to get real-world experience and to work toward a fantastic cause,” said Naputi. In its 10th year, more than 650 ponytails have been collected through the previous years. It takes five to six ponytails to make one real-hair wig. The length of 650 ponytails is equal to double the wingspan of a 747 airplane or the length of five blue whales.

For more than a decade, Pechanga Resort Casino has been a major supporter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation in its region. Pechanga has donated more than $835,000 to the foundation in the fight against breast cancer and toward raising awareness. The Centers for Disease Control show breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women affecting one in eight. The organization statistics show more than 200,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease each year. Hair loss, one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment, can be especially traumatic for a woman fighting cancer.

Spa Pechanga is open every day from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, visit Pechanga.com/indulge/spa.