July 17, 2025 • 30 mins
Hair Peace Charities Helps women and girls, who live in western Pennsylvania with financial assistance to purchase a wig needed due to cancer. Hair Peace also offers cancer-fighting information, encouragement, and faith with support groups. Hair Peace Charities will provide up to $250 towards a purchase of a wig.
To Receive Financial Assistance for the purchase of a wig, individuals must speak with Bonny by calling 412-327-5177. Determination of assistance needed along with a list of supporting salons will be provided at that time. Salons cannot request assistance on behalf of clients.
https://hairpeace.org/
To Receive Financial Assistance for the purchase of a wig, individuals must speak with Bonny by calling 412-327-5177. Determination of assistance needed along with a list of supporting salons will be provided at that time. Salons cannot request assistance on behalf of clients.
https://hairpeace.org/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
And welcome in. This is a public affairs program shedding
the light on the interest, issues and concerns of the
greater Pittsburgh area. My name is Johnny Hartwell, and I
hate to say it, but I just got licked on
the knee by me Bonnie Dyer from Recipe for Hope
and Hair Peace Charity. She brought her dog and yes, buddy.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I'm his emotional support person.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Came over and licked my knee. I was like, okay,
that's the first time ever I've done a public affairs
interview and her hair is.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Standing up on the back of your neck. You're not
quite sure how to handle this.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
That's fine, all right, I've got a bone to pick
with you, all right. So this is the twentieth anniversary
of the Recipe for Hope. How can that be? I
was there at the first one, and I'm only in
my mid twenties.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
No, you are in a stroller, Zach yah years I
know by so well. I'm like, okay, twenty what what
was How old was that? When was that? It's so weird,
isn't it?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
All right? So let's explain what Recipe for Hope is
and who it benefits and what you're all about. Let's
start with Recipe for Hope. All right, So it's coming
up on August twenty second at the Marinick Center once
again North Hills. All right, so tell us everything we
need to know.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Sure, So Recipe for Hope.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It is an event where we bring together a bunch
of celebrities, TV radio personalities and a bunch of food.
And so we have some people that actually like to cook.
You John Dellano from Katie K.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, he does it.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
He's my wife and I are going to make a
very nice hummus. I'm like, well, good for you.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Here the hummus.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
And then we have other people like Kim Gable's, like
Scott Baker from Jenny Lee Bakery or bringing it and
they're doing like this major Cuban Jenny Lee Bakery sandwich
thing that's going to be on.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It's going to be amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
He always does a fantastic job time.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Does he brings it? Yeah, there after the win. There
after the win. So we have twenty TV and radio
people that will be there doing the food, wearing the aprons,
and so you walk around, get a chance to taste
all the food, meet all his personalities, get some pictures
with him, which is always a lot of fun. And
then we have the open bar, which is always fun,
and we have celebrity bartenders, and then the great auction,
(02:17):
so we do it in two hours. Bam.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Don't just gloss over the auction because because your auction
is off the.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Chain, it is insanely good. Yes, yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I have some concert tickets, have fourth Throw tickets to
see Chicago okay, look at me, and tickets to see
the Squirrelnut Zippers, Bill Murray, Princess Brian.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Bill Murray's coming to time.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Bill Murray's gonna be doing a show. I had no
idea and I have tickets. Wow, that's great, I know.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
So get in the auction.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yes, yes, And then we have a Mount Rushmore vacation
home for a week and a bunch of different restaurants,
and the Renaissance Hotel will be there with an overnight
and this is a cool thing. Nick Saxon from Renaissance
Hotel he comes every year. He brings some amazing food
because he's just an amazing chef and usually wins. But okay,
he's great, and he is now opening up one of
(03:06):
his own restaurants up North and it's called Nick Saxson
sacks on okay, and it's he's going to donate a
five course meal or six or something.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I know, five or six.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I'm not going to count with pairings with wine for
six people. What fun is that is?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I know, I know Dieg was like, I want to
lick your knee if I can go with you.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
So it's going to be it's gonna be a lot
of fun with all these different auction things and trips
and tickets. And I've got box seats for the pirates
when you sit really close and they bring you food
and everything at school that kind of stuff. So whether
they're winning or not, you'll have a good time. So's
it's lots of great stuff. Lots of golfing packages. One
(03:47):
of my board members is into golfing, so she's like
going to all the golf courses and bringing in all
these golf packages.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So lots of cool things like that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
And so the auction is fun, the food is great,
you know, open bar, and you know it's just it's
it's once you buy your ticket, you're in. So if
you buy two tickets, you are supporting one cancer survivor.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Johnny hartwell well let's tell everybody why you're doing this.
And the charity is hair Piece Charities, and so tell
us everything we need to know about your charity.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
All right, So hair Peace and it's spelled peace like
the peace sign. Hair Piece Charities something I started after
I went through cancer treatment twenty two years ago. I know,
it's like twenty two years ago. It seems like, you know,
it's one of those things you never forget. It's like
it's a moment in your life where it's before cancer
(04:33):
and after cancer.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
It's one of those things.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So two thousand and three, I was diagnosed with breast cancer,
went through my treatment, talked about early detection being very important,
and was going out, you know, talking different groups and
things like that. My doctor said, hey, look, people know
who you are because you're on the radio, and you
can raise some money and help pay for wigs for
women going through cancer treatment, because you lose your hair
usually within the first couple of weeks of treatment for cancer,
(04:58):
and paying for whis can feel like you just don't
have the money. How can I afford it? Am I superficial?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
You know? And how can I do this?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And so sometimes you get a little bit of a
guilty thing about getting a wig, but we are here
to say no.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
It is very important.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Because once you are out in public and you're around people,
and you want to go to school, and you want
to go to work and anywhere you go out where
people see you, you don't want to be seen as
a cancer patient. You want to be who you are,
regain your identity and feel more comfortable and back to normal.
When cancer is such an abnormal, weird time. I mean,
it takes away peace by peace, no matter what type
(05:36):
of cancer you're going through. And so whigs are very important.
And so we started here Peace Charities twenty one years ago.
Over five hundred women last year that we helped. It'll
be at least five hundred this year. And it's all
types of cancer Western Pennsylvania. So if you're up in
an area or Somerset or Washington County, wherever in this area,
not Ohio.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
West Virginia, sorry, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
So so we help Western Pennsylvania women and girls with
any type of cancer. We give funding cash to the
salon where you're going to get your wig, and we
also have support so everyone who who requests the funding
will call me on the phone on my phone and
leave a message and then I'll call them back and
sometimes those conversations, yep, will help you out with paying
(06:21):
for the wig. What else are you going through? You know?
Do you have some mouse sores? Do you have some neuropathy?
Do you have some indigestion? Different things like that. How
are your white blood count numbers? And I have been
doing this for such a long time that I've got
a lot of tricks, and you know, I'll talk to somebody,
especially some of the young women who are just like
completely freaked out. You know, cancer is like a sniper.
(06:45):
It's not like people talk about being of war and
a battle, and yes it is, but it's not a
battle that I signed up for. And so it's like
I'm walking down the street and all of a sudden
I get hit. It's like what just happened? And I
don't know how to spell chemotherapy. I don't know what
a mess sectomy is or radiation or any of those
kind of things.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
And so you're just hit.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And so you have to try to gather your people
to get your troops together, and then you can get
your battle plan together and then you move on.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But initially, the first you know, part of going.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Through cancer is is a knockdown. It's tough, and so
I'm very happy to talk to these women that are
going through it.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It's kind of cute.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So I had I was talking to woman the other
day and her husband wasn't background.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You've got this.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
You've got a tripping next week, you know, and he's
like helping her out because he's her support guy. And
he said, is that Bonnie Diver from the radio, And
he's like, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I'm like, yeah, that's me.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Countless many times, somebody might post on post on social
media that they've been diagnosed with cancer, and I always
reach out and yeah, and I've said, you know, I
have a friend who you know is a very an
amazing advocate, and they write back Bonnie and Iyer already
talked to her good so many times, because it's not
just you know, allowing them to get their dignity back
(08:03):
with wigs, which is what you guys focus on.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
In that name mission. But yeah, but there's much and.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Having somebody in the corner because once you get the diagnosis,
and I'm sure that there's a lot of doctors and
nurses who do a great job of explaining it, but
once you get hit, it's really hard to comprehend everything
that they're saying.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Well, you don't even know what questions to ask, and
then what does the answer even mean. So it's very
it is it's it's kind of numbing. And sometimes the
doctors and the nurses are going through so many people
and they're so rushed and it's such a busy world
for them that they don't have time to sit down
and really go over things and over things and over things,
(08:45):
and having that I don't want to call out a
counseling session, but just a session to be able to,
let's say, talk about this a little bit more. So
that kind of leads me to our support groups. We
have a support group that meets monthly on the last
Wednesday of the month, and so you know, we have
women from all types of cancer that come in. I
have speakers that come in with different topics talk about
(09:06):
wellness and things we can do, and we also pray.
So a hair piece is what I call hair prayer
and care because faith was a huge part of getting
through cancer for me and still fuels me. And I
always say, if God wants to succeed, he'll give us
the tools and it'll succeed. If he wants me to
be done, he'll let me know. And so that's how
(09:30):
I go through what I do, and so it obviously
he wants me to keep doing it, and so we
continue on. But I also ask women when I talk
to them on the phone, are you okay if I
add you to my prayer list? And I have a
group of about twenty five thirty people that every month
we get together we make cards up. I know you're
(09:50):
a big card center, Johnny Hartwell, and so we make
up cards and we know it. I'm looking over the
top of my glasses at him. Yeah, And so we
get cards together and we pray for all of the
patients and send that out and it's such it's really
it seems like it's not a big deal, but it
is because you get a card in the mail on
a day you're feeling crappy from somebody you don't even
know that says I'm praying for you and hoping that
(10:14):
you have a good day, and it's like it just
changes everything, you know, the focus becomes I'm not alone.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
When you started Hairpiece Charities twenty one years ago, what
is your what is one of your proudest moments.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Well, I think just I just the talking to each
woman depending on where they are. You know, It's like
there's some that I can't remember who I talked to yesterday,
because you know, I'll talk to maybe five women a day,
and so it's and it's like, you know, I have
(10:51):
everything in my book and I make all my notes
for each time. But there's people that that I became
friends with, you know, twenty one years ago we first
started this that I'm still friends with, and I'm just
it's really nice to have we met through cancer, we
got through cancer, and then we got better.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
You know.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
On the flip side, you've done so much, You've you've
talked to so many women and help them through the process,
but you've also probably lost a lot of friends. Yeah,
and that's that's got to be the toughest part of
your your your your I want to say job, but
your your charity and.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
The hundred percent. Yeah, it is very hard. What some
of the hardest things are.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
You know, Like my my thing is once I get
off the phone with somebody, I want to know that
I did something to encourage them, to help them or
give them at least one extra tool in their toolbox
to be able to do better and and and feel
like they're a little more grounded and encouraged. And some
of the women, especially younger women who are diagnosed, you know,
(11:59):
the initial time I talked to them, you know, it's like, Okay,
we're in the beginning of this. But I keep up
with them a lot of times as they keep going through.
I have one gal who actually I'm sort of like,
I call myself her mom, and she was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer when she was thirty four and it just
(12:19):
totally wrecked all of her plans for her life as
a thirty four year old. Want to be married, I
want to have children, I want to have this great
job teaching, and everything just changed for her and she
had to give all that up. Okay, so she went
through the battle, and then she gets diagnosed again.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
She goes through the battle.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
She's been diagnosed over and over again, like maybe eight
or nine times at this point, and it's been four
years of this battle.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
And when.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You feel like I can do everything I can to
help you out, but they don't want to lose their independence.
So you want to do things for them, but they
don't want you to do things form, and so it's
like it's so hard to say, I don't want you
to feel isolated, you know, and kind of seeing it's
it's a funny visual that I have. I feel like
(13:13):
I see people on a little boat in this harbor
and I'm pulling them in and I'm saying, Okay, come
on in here, we're going to be a part of
what's going on.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
We're going to be on your ship with you.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
And then when they get to a point where it's
it's getting harder and harder, and you see them fade
away and it's like their little boat is going out
and it's like a drifting away and it's like I
can't go with you where you're going.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Well, because they're facing mortality and that's something we all
have to face. And when cancer hits, it's that that
question of mortality hits you right in the face. And
some people have a difficult time accepting that or don't
know what to do.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
And well, you don't expect it, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
It's like I'm living my life and I'm thinking, you
don't think about that kind of stuff. It's not the
natural order progression that you expect. You expect parents to
live you know, a certain amount of time, and your
kids are not going to die before you. You know,
when when kids pass away before their parents, it's so
(14:16):
difficult for parents. And there's nothing I can do to
say that I understand, but I can say that I
will be around if you ever need anything, because losing
a child is you know, just torrible, the worst at
any age. Yeah, so cancer is I could say some
(14:37):
pretty bad words, but we're on the radio, and I
don't want it, you know, And.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I think we're all thinking that because cancer has touched
just about everybody and almost one and well, so you
know what, I don't want to get too far without
promoting the Talith recipe for Hope coming up at the
Marinick Center once again, August twenty third, twenty second, twenty second.
I'm sorry, my my bad. Thank you for correcting me.
So if somebody wants to buy tickets, you just go
(15:01):
to the your website hairpiece Eace dot org. Uh. And
we have a bunch of radio people. I'll be there.
Who else who are some of the other yeah people.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You know, the guy in the afternoon here, Mike Mike
Fraser's going to be here as well as Val Porter
and putting Vow together with Gabby a Jule. She's gonna
do the Macarone macarols. I think, do you have a
beret for her to wear?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
You surprisingly, I always wear something bizarre, and I don't.
I think I'm beret lists. I don't have a beret.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Brave for her.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
We'll have to forget a beret because it's they're so
French and so so. Vow will be there, Mike Crazer.
We've got John Delano from KATIEK TV. Ron Smiley the
weather guy from katiek TV.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
He's a great guy. Okay, it's fun.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
And Paul and Joy Martino, they're fun too. They're gonna
be doing cookies with your buddy Billy Joe.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Oh nice Billy.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Joe Marshall is going to be making cookies for them,
so they have a cookie table. Kim Gable from KATIEK TV.
We've got you jag Offs. We've got Rick c back,
Doug Oaster the organic gardener, Sheila Highland, Robbie and Mkowski
is a pirate announcer from many years ago, and he's
coming back.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Jimmy and Monty, Lori Geiger.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Lori Geiger. Yeah, she's been loyal.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
She you know what, She's going to team up with
Rainya this year. You know Rainya the cook. I'm not
oh my, Rainya is like a big time cook lady
from the Pittsburgh areas. So they're going to make some
kind of something fancy thing, you know, with toothpicks.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
I think, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
So and Kimmy is gonna cook for you, Uh huh
Kimmy and Michael.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I thought she was coming in today.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I know she had the work, Okay, I know she
has a job. She's fought overing cancer for many years.
I think this is her second time. But she's doing
better and she's still in the battle. But God bless her.
She has so much energy. She's a riot. Her husband
is a great cook. So they bring food to our
support group every time we have a group and feed everybody.
(16:58):
And so I said, do you guys want to do
food for RECU? You're like yeah, can we work with Johnny?
I'm like yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
You know what's great is seeing a lot of your
volunteers have gone through the whole process of battling cancer
and things like that, and.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
They want to be there to give back and be
a part of it.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
They're so sweet, but it's always it's so fun to
see them and you know that they've been here another
year and you're like, you're a survivor, yeah, and you
see their journey and you just you're so welcoming.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
And also, speaking of volunteers, a lot of people that
you have helped through the process of either getting a
wig or you know, advocacy and everything that you do, Bonnie,
they get back by becoming volunteers, right, And so tell
me about your team that help you out each and
every year.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Yeah, So we do have a lot of volunteers. We
have a lot of people from my church that want
to help out from ingram Our Methodist Church, so yeah,
you guys, and then we have just i think from
all different you know, like maybe fifteen or twenty years
out from surviving cancer and they are still with hair
piece number one that you know, we were a big
(18:04):
part of getting them through what they went through. But
they love what we do and they have so much
fun and they love seeing you guys, and so they're
they're very happy to be a part of it. We
do a big survivor salute at Recipe for Hope too,
where we bring all the survivors up on the little
stage thing and do a picture in a salute and
everybody plu.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
It's just it's really special.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
It's nice to see that we have smiling faces on
the other side of cancer.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
So this is the twentieth year for Recipe for Hoping.
You can get your tickets at Hairpiece eace dot org.
Do you remember organizing the first one and what was
that like compared to it? Has it gotten any easier?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Kind of?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So tell me about how who came up with the
idea and what was it like coming up with the
first one.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, you know, it's because we're in radio.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
We know how to do events right, right, and we
think what do people want?
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Food?
Speaker 1 (19:02):
What else?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Yeah, and you know, and then you know and so yeah,
let's do that and cool auction stuff that you can't
get anywhere else. So you know, you can go to
an auction and you can see, oh yeah, they have
gift cards or lottery tree or things like that, and
that's fine, but I want to see something that it's
like an impulse buy. I will never be able to
get a mount rushmore vacation home at the grocery store,
(19:26):
so yeah, you better bid on that. You know. So
so we try to get real exclusive things for the auction,
and so that's what kind of makes it up. There's
nobody that does recipe for hope like we do, because
it's really hard. It is.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
It's a lot of work.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
I mean, you know, like I'm right now going bonkers
because I'm trying and goes like, yes, drive me crazy too.
But I have all of these people that I'm trying
to organize, and it's like, will you respond to email?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Do I have to text you? Do I have to
call you? Do I have a private message you on Facebook?
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I mean, getting all these celebrities because everybody's busy, you know,
but gathering all you guys together, it's a big deal.
And and so it's it's very hard.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Once again, the Herd, the cats Bloods bring them in.
So the first one was at it was at Sweet.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Sweetwater Arts Center in.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Swickly, Yeah, and I had I was I was really
Overzelius and I was like, let's do music. I had
three different in two hours, had three bands. You know.
I was like, oh my god. I said, well let's
do classical, let's do jazz, and let's do rock. And
so I'm like I'm like trying to do that, and
we had the auction upstairs and I had all you
guys and we had some wine and stuff like that
(20:45):
out there.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And I don't remember seeing the I don't remember upstairs.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
There's an upstairs balcony, but I remember you because you
were dressed up like George Washington. It was the anniversary
of Pittsburgh or something or the other or some kind
of a big thing. You're like, oh, I'm gonna be
like George Washing. And I was like, what in the
world is he doing? And I think you did a
George Washington themed food with homemade ice cream.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yes, homemade ice cream, and pumpkin soup and something else.
I can't remember what it was.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I know, like a whole course meal, it's like, but
it was.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
It was from the Martha Washington recipe book and that's
where I got those. Oh, and I've gotten in so
much trouble over the last one.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yes, I know, yeah, no, it's good, but but yeah,
you always you always bring something extra that's surprised and like, wait,
what's he doing now?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
You know?
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So it's it's always fun. And Doug Oaster is another
one who's been there I think every year except one
year he missed and uh, you know, he always does
something garlic because garlic is his thing.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
It's like, well, what kind of garlic is it. It's like, well,
let me tell you. I'm like, okay, that's a little
bit too much information.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
But but you know, everybody likes to The ones who
like to cook are really fun because they really get
into it. And we do, by the way, some healthy
foods because we've had someple or food sensitive and Kimmy,
who's doing your food, it's a food sensitive special quen
wa thing and it's so good. And then I have
another survivor, Chris Needles, who is bringing some food for
(22:11):
Jimmy and Moni and it's I just want to say,
it's a surprise chocolate cake, but it's healthy.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Healthy chocolate cake. I am intrigued.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Ah, yes, you shall be yes. And so they're going
to be all secret spy thing going on with a
whole you know, they get dressed up and all this
stuff too.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
They're that crazy like you.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
And a lot of these local celebrities we don't get
to see very often because we're working the you know,
kind of the same shifts, or we're working the different party.
You're busy, and so it's like, yeah, old home week.
We come back and it's like a reunion that is
like all these and we you know, we.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
End up with you guys have more fun before the
door's open, as you're getting your food tables ready.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
So yeah, so it's a nice thing. So you come in.
It starts at seven thirty.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
You walk around from table to table, get sample foods
that you guys are serving, from appetizers to main dishes
to desserts, and get a chance to meet you, take
pictures and say hello and say wait a minute, who are.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
You you know or whatever?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
You know?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I listened to you forever. Do you remember that time
you played Steppenwell for me here? Whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
And so it's very it's really fun to get a
chance to get up close to all of you celebrities.
And then you know, once you buy your tickets, you
don't have to pay for anything else. The food is free.
We have the open bar, got celebrity bartenders. And then
the auction just write a.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Check, yeah, and then you have a live auction that
kind of at the at the end, which is always uh,
the big yet it's always a big deal. And then
of course you you recognized the survivors and the people
who have who volunteers some things.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Yeah, And I want to thank some of our sponsors.
We've had some really great sponsors.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
So A h N.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
HI Mark are huge supporting sponsor. Cindy Stock is a
big sponsor. They helped to take care of a lot
of funding. Lamar Salon Ioma, They're they're great. So and
I see Distillery and Kingview Mead. They're bringing some fancy
drinky things.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Nice nice, nice so food drink raph items and things
like that and goes to a great cause. If you're
just tuning in, we're talking with Bonnie Diver. The twentieth
Recipe for Hope is just around the corner August twenty
second in the Marineck Center. It's on Camp Horn Road.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Yeah, twenty years, baby.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
The first ten years, I think it snowed every year. Yes,
so we put it in August, so yeah, it may snow.
You can't roll out snow in Pittsburgh ever, but I
think you're I think it's a safe bet we're not
going to see snow this year.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
And people are like and we have to walk through
the parking lot and whatever, and I'm like it's not snowing.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Shut up. I mean, obviously you didn't come the first
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
You know, because but I will. There's a guy who
has a golf cart. We'll go around pick you up
if you don't want to walk into the building.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So make sure you get your tickets at Hairpeace dot
org and it goes to a great cause for people
who are just tuning in. Tell us everything we need
to know about your organization.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Hair Peace Charities is an organization that helps women and
girls with any type of cancer in western Pennsylvania. We
help pay for their wigs as they're going through chemotherapy treatment,
and then we offer support information that we sent to
them as well as having support groups. So hair Piece
over five hundred women last year that we helped and
(25:12):
it'll be probably five hundred or more this year. That
call for help, all you have to do is call
four one two three two seven five one seven seven.
That information's on our website. Call leave a message. I'll
call you back. And well, I don't make people go
through a bunch of red tape because it feels like
when you're going through cancer, you're being analyzed and taken apart.
(25:33):
Enough that I don't want to make it any more
painful than you already have to go through.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
So it's pretty easy process.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
And she of course went through her own experience with
cancer twenty two years ago, started the charity twenty one
years ago, and started Recipe.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
For Hope twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Although every time you try to get the organization that
you try to get organized for Recipe for Hope, it
probably feels like two decades.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah, it's yeah, you know, and it's like, okay, putting
this back together. And I think the biggest thing is
that people have learned patients from hanging out with me
because I'm like, yes, can you help, Okay good. I'll
get back to you sooner than later. Maybe I don't know,
but as long as you write it on your calendar,
you're with me. Okay, good and check that off and
then I get back to people eventually. So all my volunteers,
(26:20):
my chefs, my cooks, people picking up auction stuff and
things like that, and you know, I have some good
people that really help out.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Now we only have a couple of minutes left, so
let's kind of reiterate everything that not only do you
have the opportunity for women and girls that are going
through cancer to get a wig, and there's certain restrictions
with that. You know, some people try to give you wigs.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
That's oh yeah, gosh, no, yeah, that's right. So sometimes
you get a wig and you don't wear it very
often or whatever, and you want to give it back,
and I understand that I can't take them back. It's
a Western Pennsylvania or it's a Pennsylvania law kind of
thing with the health Department. But we have a place
on our website that will show you places where you
can send your gently used wig where they will take those.
(27:05):
So please don't mail them to me. I don't want
to see a box on my front porch.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
But if somebody has cancer and there maybe just got
diagnosed and they're looking for.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
You know, yeah, you need some help and advice and
things like that. Our website is so good. Yeah, Kate
takes care of our website and we've got sections on
there for newly diagnosed questions that you ask and things
you need to know before you go to a salon.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Things.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
There's salons in different areas, So if you're in Westmoreland County,
or you're in Washington County, or you're up North or wherever.
We have salons that we work with that have been
very good, and so they're all listed on our website
with the phone numbers, and then we have helpful hints
and things like that. So you go to the website
and you'll find ways that you know will help you
(27:50):
get through that, and then how to contact me. My
phone number is there as well as my email address,
and let me know how we can help you out.
And I will eventually get back to you. Maybe not
in the first twenty four hours that you contact me,
but I will.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Twentieth Recipe for Hope just around the corner August twenty second,
Marinic Center and camp Horn Road. What times does it start?
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Seven thirty?
Speaker 1 (28:10):
And then said one, nine thirty. All right, so it's.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Sam, we do it.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
We do it.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
I don't make I'm not making people stand around and
wait for the auction.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I'm like, let's do this.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
We have about a minute left, So tell us everything
we need to know about this year's twentieth anniversary of
Recipe for Hope.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Yeah, we're bringing in twenty celebrities TV radio that are
going to wear aprons, serve you great food, great auction.
The bar is going to be fantastic and you can
find out all the information at our website here Peace
Peace like the Peace Sun Herepeace dot org. That's got
our phone number there and everything you need to know.
So come out and support us. We've got so much
(28:47):
fun at Recipe for Hope. There's nothing like it.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
And I love you. I love you. You're absolutely the best,
and no thanks. I look forward to it each and
every year. And twentieth year, what are you gonna aware?
Are you got to.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Bring back the George Washington outfit?
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Maybe? Maybe I don't know. I don't know. I always
wear something.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Pictures I have of Johnny Hartwell and me, and every
time he's wearing something different and usually my mouth is
white up.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
And maybe maybe I'll dress this in a normal fashion
and that would really.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Everybody will recognize you. Yeah, no, he's not wearing a
banana on his head.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
What what all right for you? I'll wear something something a.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Little outry, nazzy, snazzy up.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
That's what I'm doing. Yeah, Hart once again, twentieth Recipe
for Hope to benefit Hairpeace Charities. Get your tickets at
Hairpiece dot eace, hairpiece dot org and if you're looking
for more information. Her number is on the website as well. Bonnie,
I love you, thank you, and I'll see you on
the twenty second in August. Thank you as always. If
you have any comments, concerns, or an idea for a
(29:47):
future program, please email us from this radio station's website. No,
I'm Johnny Heartwell, thank you so much for listening.
And welcome in. This is a public affairs program shedding
the light on the interest, issues and concerns of the
greater Pittsburgh area. My name is Johnny Hartwell, and I
hate to say it, but I just got licked on
the knee by me Bonnie Dyer from Recipe for Hope
and Hair Peace Charity. She brought her dog and yes, buddy.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I'm his emotional support person.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Came over and licked my knee. I was like, okay,
that's the first time ever I've done a public affairs
interview and her hair is.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Standing up on the back of your neck. You're not
quite sure how to handle this.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
That's fine, all right, I've got a bone to pick
with you, all right. So this is the twentieth anniversary
of the Recipe for Hope. How can that be? I
was there at the first one, and I'm only in
my mid twenties.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
No, you are in a stroller, Zach yah years I
know by so well. I'm like, okay, twenty what what
was How old was that? When was that? It's so weird,
isn't it?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
All right? So let's explain what Recipe for Hope is
and who it benefits and what you're all about. Let's
start with Recipe for Hope. All right, So it's coming
up on August twenty second at the Marinick Center once
again North Hills. All right, so tell us everything we
need to know.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Sure, So Recipe for Hope.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It is an event where we bring together a bunch
of celebrities, TV radio personalities and a bunch of food.
And so we have some people that actually like to cook.
You John Dellano from Katie K.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, he does it.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
He's my wife and I are going to make a
very nice hummus. I'm like, well, good for you.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Here the hummus.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
And then we have other people like Kim Gable's, like
Scott Baker from Jenny Lee Bakery or bringing it and
they're doing like this major Cuban Jenny Lee Bakery sandwich
thing that's going to be on.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It's going to be amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
He always does a fantastic job time.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Does he brings it? Yeah, there after the win. There
after the win. So we have twenty TV and radio
people that will be there doing the food, wearing the aprons,
and so you walk around, get a chance to taste
all the food, meet all his personalities, get some pictures
with him, which is always a lot of fun. And
then we have the open bar, which is always fun,
and we have celebrity bartenders, and then the great auction,
(02:17):
so we do it in two hours. Bam.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Don't just gloss over the auction because because your auction
is off the.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Chain, it is insanely good. Yes, yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I have some concert tickets, have fourth Throw tickets to
see Chicago okay, look at me, and tickets to see
the Squirrelnut Zippers, Bill Murray, Princess Brian.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Bill Murray's coming to time.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Bill Murray's gonna be doing a show. I had no
idea and I have tickets. Wow, that's great, I know.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
So get in the auction.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yes, yes, And then we have a Mount Rushmore vacation
home for a week and a bunch of different restaurants,
and the Renaissance Hotel will be there with an overnight
and this is a cool thing. Nick Saxon from Renaissance
Hotel he comes every year. He brings some amazing food
because he's just an amazing chef and usually wins. But okay,
he's great, and he is now opening up one of
(03:06):
his own restaurants up North and it's called Nick Saxson
sacks on okay, and it's he's going to donate a
five course meal or six or something.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I know, five or six.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I'm not going to count with pairings with wine for
six people. What fun is that is?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I know, I know Dieg was like, I want to
lick your knee if I can go with you.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
So it's going to be it's gonna be a lot
of fun with all these different auction things and trips
and tickets. And I've got box seats for the pirates
when you sit really close and they bring you food
and everything at school that kind of stuff. So whether
they're winning or not, you'll have a good time. So's
it's lots of great stuff. Lots of golfing packages. One
(03:47):
of my board members is into golfing, so she's like
going to all the golf courses and bringing in all
these golf packages.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So lots of cool things like that.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
And so the auction is fun, the food is great,
you know, open bar, and you know it's just it's
it's once you buy your ticket, you're in. So if
you buy two tickets, you are supporting one cancer survivor.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Johnny hartwell well let's tell everybody why you're doing this.
And the charity is hair Piece Charities, and so tell
us everything we need to know about your charity.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
All right, So hair Peace and it's spelled peace like
the peace sign. Hair Piece Charities something I started after
I went through cancer treatment twenty two years ago. I know,
it's like twenty two years ago. It seems like, you know,
it's one of those things you never forget. It's like
it's a moment in your life where it's before cancer
(04:33):
and after cancer.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
It's one of those things.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So two thousand and three, I was diagnosed with breast cancer,
went through my treatment, talked about early detection being very important,
and was going out, you know, talking different groups and
things like that. My doctor said, hey, look, people know
who you are because you're on the radio, and you
can raise some money and help pay for wigs for
women going through cancer treatment, because you lose your hair
usually within the first couple of weeks of treatment for cancer,
(04:58):
and paying for whis can feel like you just don't
have the money. How can I afford it? Am I superficial?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
You know? And how can I do this?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And so sometimes you get a little bit of a
guilty thing about getting a wig, but we are here
to say no.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
It is very important.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Because once you are out in public and you're around people,
and you want to go to school, and you want
to go to work and anywhere you go out where
people see you, you don't want to be seen as
a cancer patient. You want to be who you are,
regain your identity and feel more comfortable and back to normal.
When cancer is such an abnormal, weird time. I mean,
it takes away peace by peace, no matter what type
(05:36):
of cancer you're going through. And so whigs are very important.
And so we started here Peace Charities twenty one years ago.
Over five hundred women last year that we helped. It'll
be at least five hundred this year. And it's all
types of cancer Western Pennsylvania. So if you're up in
an area or Somerset or Washington County, wherever in this area,
not Ohio.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
West Virginia, sorry, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
So so we help Western Pennsylvania women and girls with
any type of cancer. We give funding cash to the
salon where you're going to get your wig, and we
also have support so everyone who who requests the funding
will call me on the phone on my phone and
leave a message and then I'll call them back and
sometimes those conversations, yep, will help you out with paying
(06:21):
for the wig. What else are you going through? You know?
Do you have some mouse sores? Do you have some neuropathy?
Do you have some indigestion? Different things like that. How
are your white blood count numbers? And I have been
doing this for such a long time that I've got
a lot of tricks, and you know, I'll talk to somebody,
especially some of the young women who are just like
completely freaked out. You know, cancer is like a sniper.
(06:45):
It's not like people talk about being of war and
a battle, and yes it is, but it's not a
battle that I signed up for. And so it's like
I'm walking down the street and all of a sudden
I get hit. It's like what just happened? And I
don't know how to spell chemotherapy. I don't know what
a mess sectomy is or radiation or any of those
kind of things.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
And so you're just hit.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And so you have to try to gather your people
to get your troops together, and then you can get
your battle plan together and then you move on.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But initially, the first you know, part of going.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Through cancer is is a knockdown. It's tough, and so
I'm very happy to talk to these women that are
going through it.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It's kind of cute.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So I had I was talking to woman the other
day and her husband wasn't background.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You've got this.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
You've got a tripping next week, you know, and he's
like helping her out because he's her support guy. And
he said, is that Bonnie Diver from the radio, And
he's like, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I'm like, yeah, that's me.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Countless many times, somebody might post on post on social
media that they've been diagnosed with cancer, and I always
reach out and yeah, and I've said, you know, I
have a friend who you know is a very an
amazing advocate, and they write back Bonnie and Iyer already
talked to her good so many times, because it's not
just you know, allowing them to get their dignity back
(08:03):
with wigs, which is what you guys focus on.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
In that name mission. But yeah, but there's much and.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Having somebody in the corner because once you get the diagnosis,
and I'm sure that there's a lot of doctors and
nurses who do a great job of explaining it, but
once you get hit, it's really hard to comprehend everything
that they're saying.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Well, you don't even know what questions to ask, and
then what does the answer even mean. So it's very
it is it's it's kind of numbing. And sometimes the
doctors and the nurses are going through so many people
and they're so rushed and it's such a busy world
for them that they don't have time to sit down
and really go over things and over things and over things,
(08:45):
and having that I don't want to call out a
counseling session, but just a session to be able to,
let's say, talk about this a little bit more. So
that kind of leads me to our support groups. We
have a support group that meets monthly on the last
Wednesday of the month, and so you know, we have
women from all types of cancer that come in. I
have speakers that come in with different topics talk about
(09:06):
wellness and things we can do, and we also pray.
So a hair piece is what I call hair prayer
and care because faith was a huge part of getting
through cancer for me and still fuels me. And I
always say, if God wants to succeed, he'll give us
the tools and it'll succeed. If he wants me to
be done, he'll let me know. And so that's how
(09:30):
I go through what I do, and so it obviously
he wants me to keep doing it, and so we
continue on. But I also ask women when I talk
to them on the phone, are you okay if I
add you to my prayer list? And I have a
group of about twenty five thirty people that every month
we get together we make cards up. I know you're
(09:50):
a big card center, Johnny Hartwell, and so we make
up cards and we know it. I'm looking over the
top of my glasses at him. Yeah, And so we
get cards together and we pray for all of the
patients and send that out and it's such it's really
it seems like it's not a big deal, but it
is because you get a card in the mail on
a day you're feeling crappy from somebody you don't even
know that says I'm praying for you and hoping that
(10:14):
you have a good day, and it's like it just
changes everything, you know, the focus becomes I'm not alone.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
When you started Hairpiece Charities twenty one years ago, what
is your what is one of your proudest moments.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Well, I think just I just the talking to each
woman depending on where they are. You know, It's like
there's some that I can't remember who I talked to yesterday,
because you know, I'll talk to maybe five women a day,
and so it's and it's like, you know, I have
(10:51):
everything in my book and I make all my notes
for each time. But there's people that that I became
friends with, you know, twenty one years ago we first
started this that I'm still friends with, and I'm just
it's really nice to have we met through cancer, we
got through cancer, and then we got better.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
You know.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
On the flip side, you've done so much, You've you've
talked to so many women and help them through the process,
but you've also probably lost a lot of friends. Yeah,
and that's that's got to be the toughest part of
your your your your I want to say job, but
your your charity and.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
The hundred percent. Yeah, it is very hard. What some
of the hardest things are.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
You know, Like my my thing is once I get
off the phone with somebody, I want to know that
I did something to encourage them, to help them or
give them at least one extra tool in their toolbox
to be able to do better and and and feel
like they're a little more grounded and encouraged. And some
of the women, especially younger women who are diagnosed, you know,
(11:59):
the initial time I talked to them, you know, it's like, Okay,
we're in the beginning of this. But I keep up
with them a lot of times as they keep going through.
I have one gal who actually I'm sort of like,
I call myself her mom, and she was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer when she was thirty four and it just
(12:19):
totally wrecked all of her plans for her life as
a thirty four year old. Want to be married, I
want to have children, I want to have this great
job teaching, and everything just changed for her and she
had to give all that up. Okay, so she went
through the battle, and then she gets diagnosed again.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
She goes through the battle.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
She's been diagnosed over and over again, like maybe eight
or nine times at this point, and it's been four
years of this battle.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
And when.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
You feel like I can do everything I can to
help you out, but they don't want to lose their independence.
So you want to do things for them, but they
don't want you to do things form, and so it's
like it's so hard to say, I don't want you
to feel isolated, you know, and kind of seeing it's
it's a funny visual that I have. I feel like
(13:13):
I see people on a little boat in this harbor
and I'm pulling them in and I'm saying, Okay, come
on in here, we're going to be a part of
what's going on.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
We're going to be on your ship with you.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
And then when they get to a point where it's
it's getting harder and harder, and you see them fade
away and it's like their little boat is going out
and it's like a drifting away and it's like I
can't go with you where you're going.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Well, because they're facing mortality and that's something we all
have to face. And when cancer hits, it's that that
question of mortality hits you right in the face. And
some people have a difficult time accepting that or don't
know what to do.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
And well, you don't expect it, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
It's like I'm living my life and I'm thinking, you
don't think about that kind of stuff. It's not the
natural order progression that you expect. You expect parents to
live you know, a certain amount of time, and your
kids are not going to die before you. You know,
when when kids pass away before their parents, it's so
(14:16):
difficult for parents. And there's nothing I can do to
say that I understand, but I can say that I
will be around if you ever need anything, because losing
a child is you know, just torrible, the worst at
any age. Yeah, so cancer is I could say some
(14:37):
pretty bad words, but we're on the radio, and I
don't want it, you know, And.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I think we're all thinking that because cancer has touched
just about everybody and almost one and well, so you
know what, I don't want to get too far without
promoting the Talith recipe for Hope coming up at the
Marinick Center once again, August twenty third, twenty second, twenty second.
I'm sorry, my my bad. Thank you for correcting me.
So if somebody wants to buy tickets, you just go
(15:01):
to the your website hairpiece Eace dot org. Uh. And
we have a bunch of radio people. I'll be there.
Who else who are some of the other yeah people.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You know, the guy in the afternoon here, Mike Mike
Fraser's going to be here as well as Val Porter
and putting Vow together with Gabby a Jule. She's gonna
do the Macarone macarols. I think, do you have a
beret for her to wear?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
You surprisingly, I always wear something bizarre, and I don't.
I think I'm beret lists. I don't have a beret.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Brave for her.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
We'll have to forget a beret because it's they're so
French and so so. Vow will be there, Mike Crazer.
We've got John Delano from KATIEK TV. Ron Smiley the
weather guy from katiek TV.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
He's a great guy. Okay, it's fun.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
And Paul and Joy Martino, they're fun too. They're gonna
be doing cookies with your buddy Billy Joe.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Oh nice Billy.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Joe Marshall is going to be making cookies for them,
so they have a cookie table. Kim Gable from KATIEK TV.
We've got you jag Offs. We've got Rick c back,
Doug Oaster the organic gardener, Sheila Highland, Robbie and Mkowski
is a pirate announcer from many years ago, and he's
coming back.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Jimmy and Monty, Lori Geiger.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Lori Geiger. Yeah, she's been loyal.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
She you know what, She's going to team up with
Rainya this year. You know Rainya the cook. I'm not
oh my, Rainya is like a big time cook lady
from the Pittsburgh areas. So they're going to make some
kind of something fancy thing, you know, with toothpicks.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
I think, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
So and Kimmy is gonna cook for you, Uh huh
Kimmy and Michael.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I thought she was coming in today.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I know she had the work, Okay, I know she
has a job. She's fought overing cancer for many years.
I think this is her second time. But she's doing
better and she's still in the battle. But God bless her.
She has so much energy. She's a riot. Her husband
is a great cook. So they bring food to our
support group every time we have a group and feed everybody.
(16:58):
And so I said, do you guys want to do
food for RECU? You're like yeah, can we work with Johnny?
I'm like yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
You know what's great is seeing a lot of your
volunteers have gone through the whole process of battling cancer
and things like that, and.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
They want to be there to give back and be
a part of it.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
They're so sweet, but it's always it's so fun to
see them and you know that they've been here another
year and you're like, you're a survivor, yeah, and you
see their journey and you just you're so welcoming.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
And also, speaking of volunteers, a lot of people that
you have helped through the process of either getting a
wig or you know, advocacy and everything that you do, Bonnie,
they get back by becoming volunteers, right, And so tell
me about your team that help you out each and
every year.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Yeah, So we do have a lot of volunteers. We
have a lot of people from my church that want
to help out from ingram Our Methodist Church, so yeah,
you guys, and then we have just i think from
all different you know, like maybe fifteen or twenty years
out from surviving cancer and they are still with hair
piece number one that you know, we were a big
(18:04):
part of getting them through what they went through. But
they love what we do and they have so much
fun and they love seeing you guys, and so they're
they're very happy to be a part of it. We
do a big survivor salute at Recipe for Hope too,
where we bring all the survivors up on the little
stage thing and do a picture in a salute and
everybody plu.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
It's just it's really special.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
It's nice to see that we have smiling faces on
the other side of cancer.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
So this is the twentieth year for Recipe for Hoping.
You can get your tickets at Hairpiece eace dot org.
Do you remember organizing the first one and what was
that like compared to it? Has it gotten any easier?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Kind of?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So tell me about how who came up with the
idea and what was it like coming up with the
first one.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, you know, it's because we're in radio.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
We know how to do events right, right, and we
think what do people want?
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Food?
Speaker 1 (19:02):
What else?
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Yeah, and you know, and then you know and so yeah,
let's do that and cool auction stuff that you can't
get anywhere else. So you know, you can go to
an auction and you can see, oh yeah, they have
gift cards or lottery tree or things like that, and
that's fine, but I want to see something that it's
like an impulse buy. I will never be able to
get a mount rushmore vacation home at the grocery store,
(19:26):
so yeah, you better bid on that. You know. So
so we try to get real exclusive things for the auction,
and so that's what kind of makes it up. There's
nobody that does recipe for hope like we do, because
it's really hard. It is.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
It's a lot of work.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
I mean, you know, like I'm right now going bonkers
because I'm trying and goes like, yes, drive me crazy too.
But I have all of these people that I'm trying
to organize, and it's like, will you respond to email?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Do I have to text you? Do I have to
call you? Do I have a private message you on Facebook?
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I mean, getting all these celebrities because everybody's busy, you know,
but gathering all you guys together, it's a big deal.
And and so it's it's very hard.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Once again, the Herd, the cats Bloods bring them in.
So the first one was at it was at Sweet.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
Sweetwater Arts Center in.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Swickly, Yeah, and I had I was I was really
Overzelius and I was like, let's do music. I had
three different in two hours, had three bands. You know.
I was like, oh my god. I said, well let's
do classical, let's do jazz, and let's do rock. And
so I'm like I'm like trying to do that, and
we had the auction upstairs and I had all you
guys and we had some wine and stuff like that
(20:45):
out there.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
And I don't remember seeing the I don't remember upstairs.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
There's an upstairs balcony, but I remember you because you
were dressed up like George Washington. It was the anniversary
of Pittsburgh or something or the other or some kind
of a big thing. You're like, oh, I'm gonna be
like George Washing. And I was like, what in the
world is he doing? And I think you did a
George Washington themed food with homemade ice cream.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yes, homemade ice cream, and pumpkin soup and something else.
I can't remember what it was.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I know, like a whole course meal, it's like, but
it was.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
It was from the Martha Washington recipe book and that's
where I got those. Oh, and I've gotten in so
much trouble over the last one.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yes, I know, yeah, no, it's good, but but yeah,
you always you always bring something extra that's surprised and like, wait,
what's he doing now?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
You know?
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So it's it's always fun. And Doug Oaster is another
one who's been there I think every year except one
year he missed and uh, you know, he always does
something garlic because garlic is his thing.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
It's like, well, what kind of garlic is it. It's like, well,
let me tell you. I'm like, okay, that's a little
bit too much information.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
But but you know, everybody likes to The ones who
like to cook are really fun because they really get
into it. And we do, by the way, some healthy
foods because we've had someple or food sensitive and Kimmy,
who's doing your food, it's a food sensitive special quen
wa thing and it's so good. And then I have
another survivor, Chris Needles, who is bringing some food for
(22:11):
Jimmy and Moni and it's I just want to say,
it's a surprise chocolate cake, but it's healthy.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Healthy chocolate cake. I am intrigued.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Ah, yes, you shall be yes. And so they're going
to be all secret spy thing going on with a
whole you know, they get dressed up and all this
stuff too.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
They're that crazy like you.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
And a lot of these local celebrities we don't get
to see very often because we're working the you know,
kind of the same shifts, or we're working the different party.
You're busy, and so it's like, yeah, old home week.
We come back and it's like a reunion that is
like all these and we you know, we.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
End up with you guys have more fun before the
door's open, as you're getting your food tables ready.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
So yeah, so it's a nice thing. So you come in.
It starts at seven thirty.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
You walk around from table to table, get sample foods
that you guys are serving, from appetizers to main dishes
to desserts, and get a chance to meet you, take
pictures and say hello and say wait a minute, who are.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
You you know or whatever?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
You know?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I listened to you forever. Do you remember that time
you played Steppenwell for me here? Whatever it is.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
And so it's very it's really fun to get a
chance to get up close to all of you celebrities.
And then you know, once you buy your tickets, you
don't have to pay for anything else. The food is free.
We have the open bar, got celebrity bartenders. And then
the auction just write a.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Check, yeah, and then you have a live auction that
kind of at the at the end, which is always uh,
the big yet it's always a big deal. And then
of course you you recognized the survivors and the people
who have who volunteers some things.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Yeah, And I want to thank some of our sponsors.
We've had some really great sponsors.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
So A h N.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
HI Mark are huge supporting sponsor. Cindy Stock is a
big sponsor. They helped to take care of a lot
of funding. Lamar Salon Ioma, They're they're great. So and
I see Distillery and Kingview Mead. They're bringing some fancy
drinky things.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Nice nice, nice so food drink raph items and things
like that and goes to a great cause. If you're
just tuning in, we're talking with Bonnie Diver. The twentieth
Recipe for Hope is just around the corner August twenty
second in the Marineck Center. It's on Camp Horn Road.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Yeah, twenty years, baby.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
The first ten years, I think it snowed every year. Yes,
so we put it in August, so yeah, it may snow.
You can't roll out snow in Pittsburgh ever, but I
think you're I think it's a safe bet we're not
going to see snow this year.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
And people are like and we have to walk through
the parking lot and whatever, and I'm like it's not snowing.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Shut up. I mean, obviously you didn't come the first
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
You know, because but I will. There's a guy who
has a golf cart. We'll go around pick you up
if you don't want to walk into the building.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So make sure you get your tickets at Hairpeace dot
org and it goes to a great cause for people
who are just tuning in. Tell us everything we need
to know about your organization.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Hair Peace Charities is an organization that helps women and
girls with any type of cancer in western Pennsylvania. We
help pay for their wigs as they're going through chemotherapy treatment,
and then we offer support information that we sent to
them as well as having support groups. So hair Piece
over five hundred women last year that we helped and
(25:12):
it'll be probably five hundred or more this year. That
call for help, all you have to do is call
four one two three two seven five one seven seven.
That information's on our website. Call leave a message. I'll
call you back. And well, I don't make people go
through a bunch of red tape because it feels like
when you're going through cancer, you're being analyzed and taken apart.
(25:33):
Enough that I don't want to make it any more
painful than you already have to go through.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
So it's pretty easy process.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
And she of course went through her own experience with
cancer twenty two years ago, started the charity twenty one
years ago, and started Recipe.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
For Hope twenty years ago.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Although every time you try to get the organization that
you try to get organized for Recipe for Hope, it
probably feels like two decades.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah, it's yeah, you know, and it's like, okay, putting
this back together. And I think the biggest thing is
that people have learned patients from hanging out with me
because I'm like, yes, can you help, Okay good. I'll
get back to you sooner than later. Maybe I don't know,
but as long as you write it on your calendar,
you're with me. Okay, good and check that off and
then I get back to people eventually. So all my volunteers,
(26:20):
my chefs, my cooks, people picking up auction stuff and
things like that, and you know, I have some good
people that really help out.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Now we only have a couple of minutes left, so
let's kind of reiterate everything that not only do you
have the opportunity for women and girls that are going
through cancer to get a wig, and there's certain restrictions
with that. You know, some people try to give you wigs.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
That's oh yeah, gosh, no, yeah, that's right. So sometimes
you get a wig and you don't wear it very
often or whatever, and you want to give it back,
and I understand that I can't take them back. It's
a Western Pennsylvania or it's a Pennsylvania law kind of
thing with the health Department. But we have a place
on our website that will show you places where you
can send your gently used wig where they will take those.
(27:05):
So please don't mail them to me. I don't want
to see a box on my front porch.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
But if somebody has cancer and there maybe just got
diagnosed and they're looking for.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
You know, yeah, you need some help and advice and
things like that. Our website is so good. Yeah, Kate
takes care of our website and we've got sections on
there for newly diagnosed questions that you ask and things
you need to know before you go to a salon.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Things.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
There's salons in different areas, So if you're in Westmoreland County,
or you're in Washington County, or you're up North or wherever.
We have salons that we work with that have been
very good, and so they're all listed on our website
with the phone numbers, and then we have helpful hints
and things like that. So you go to the website
and you'll find ways that you know will help you
(27:50):
get through that, and then how to contact me. My
phone number is there as well as my email address,
and let me know how we can help you out.
And I will eventually get back to you. Maybe not
in the first twenty four hours that you contact me,
but I will.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Twentieth Recipe for Hope just around the corner August twenty second,
Marinic Center and camp Horn Road. What times does it start?
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Seven thirty?
Speaker 1 (28:10):
And then said one, nine thirty. All right, so it's.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Sam, we do it.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
We do it.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
I don't make I'm not making people stand around and
wait for the auction.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I'm like, let's do this.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
We have about a minute left, So tell us everything
we need to know about this year's twentieth anniversary of
Recipe for Hope.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Yeah, we're bringing in twenty celebrities TV radio that are
going to wear aprons, serve you great food, great auction.
The bar is going to be fantastic and you can
find out all the information at our website here Peace
Peace like the Peace Sun Herepeace dot org. That's got
our phone number there and everything you need to know.
So come out and support us. We've got so much
(28:47):
fun at Recipe for Hope. There's nothing like it.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
And I love you. I love you. You're absolutely the best,
and no thanks. I look forward to it each and
every year. And twentieth year, what are you gonna aware?
Are you got to.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Bring back the George Washington outfit?
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Maybe? Maybe I don't know. I don't know. I always
wear something.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Pictures I have of Johnny Hartwell and me, and every
time he's wearing something different and usually my mouth is
white up.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
And maybe maybe I'll dress this in a normal fashion
and that would really.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Everybody will recognize you. Yeah, no, he's not wearing a
banana on his head.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
What what all right for you? I'll wear something something a.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Little outry, nazzy, snazzy up.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
That's what I'm doing. Yeah, Hart once again, twentieth Recipe
for Hope to benefit Hairpeace Charities. Get your tickets at
Hairpiece dot eace, hairpiece dot org and if you're looking
for more information. Her number is on the website as well. Bonnie,
I love you, thank you, and I'll see you on
the twenty second in August. Thank you as always. If
you have any comments, concerns, or an idea for a
(29:47):
future program, please email us from this radio station's website. No,
I'm Johnny Heartwell, thank you so much for listening.
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