Learn about and raise money for National Alopecia Areata Foundation

CHESTER — Christopher's Bistro will be hosting a fundraising event on Friday, Sept. 20, from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). NAAF has designated September as Alopecia Areata Awareness Month.

Local musician Ariel will be performing as well as organizing the event on behalf of her daughter, Anya Starr, who was diagnosed with Alopecia last year. Anya decided to let everyone know just a few weeks ago what was happening. So her proud parents, Joseph and Ariel Quinn, decided to put this event together in her name.

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that results in the loss of hair on the scalp or anywhere on the body. It occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles which are where hair growth begins. It occurs in both males and females of all ages and races but most often begins in childhood.

“It can be psychologically devastating to the one who has the condition and it impacts the lives of their loved ones as well,” according to Ariel Quinn. “It has been a struggle for Anya, her sisters, her dad and I. Anya would wake up each morning hoping it was all a bad dream, but when she looked in the mirror she saw her scalp with round patches of hair loss, she would cry.”

There is no cure for Alopecia Areata and there are no drugs approved to treat it. Doctors may use medicines approved for other diseases to help hair grow back. Researchers are seeking a better understanding of the disease. Scientists are studying genes; Hair follicle development; Immune treatments; Stem cells in the skin; and medications.

At the Sept. 20 fundraising event, there will be a raffle with many prizes from local restaurants, gyms, boutiques, legal firms, landscaping companies, salons, many talented local artists and photographers. Christopher’s Bistro will also be serving a blue drink called the Lotus Blossom in honor of the Alopecia Areata ribbon color with half of the proceeds from the sales going to the NAAF.

“So come out, enjoy music, eat great food, drink great drinks and support a great cause," said Ariel Quinn. "It’s a beautiful thing when community comes together to help each other.”

Christopher's Bistro is located at 69 Brookside Ave. in Chester.