BUCHANAN — The staff at Buchanan’s Pure Rituals are used to caring for their clients’ hair and faces through their salon services. However, this winter season, they will also be caring for so much more as they raise money for those who have Multiple Sclerosis.

Pure Rituals, 108 E. Front St., Buchanan, is currently raising funds to support the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation is a national organization dedicated to researching MS and finding a cure for the disease. MS is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. T

he progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS vary from person to person. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. The cause of MS is still unknown.

Buchanan residents and Pure Rituals clients can donate to the cause by placing money in a donation box set up inside of the Buchanan storefront. The store will be collecting donations until the end of March.

“All the donations go to families who are affected. That’s why we chose this organization,” said Irene Gonzalez, manager and Aveda ambassador for Pure Rituals. “The money does go to the families who are affected to help with healthcare.”

Pure Rituals has donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation for several years. This year’s goal is to raise $2,000. 

Gonzalez personally knows individuals who have been affected by MS, which makes the donation personal for her. However, she said that even if no one at Pure Rituals had a tie to MS, the business would still donate, as Gonzalez believes that giving back to the community is the right thing to do. The company also donates in other ways. Most recently, Pure Rituals collected donations for The Sock Project, which collects donations of new socks to give to families in need.

Gonzalez said that a culture of giving is built into Pure Rituals’ business model, as it is an Aveda based company. The Aveda Corporation is an American cosmetics company that has a mission to give back to communities and protect the environment, according to its mission statement.

“We have a responsibility and leadership through Aveda,” Gonzalez said. “We all care.”

Gonzalez said she would encourage anyone who is able to donate to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation this winter season.

“They don’t even have to come in here,” she said. “They can donate on [the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation website.] A little can go a long way.”