Beauty Bus founders Alicia Marantz Liotta (left) and Wendy
Marantz Levine (right) with a client serviced at one of
Beauty Bus' virtual salon events at the Ronald McDonald
House in Hollywood.
The ABC reality show, Secret Millionaire.
Beauty Bus client Harry Andronis and his niece/primary caregiver
Mary Andronis were featured in the Secret Millionaire
episode. Sadly, Andronis passed away from ALS in December
a few months after the episode was filmed.
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When Alicia Marantz Liotta, co-founder of the non-profit foundation
Beauty Bus, received a request from a producer to be part of a
documentary about successful businesses in a floundering economy,
she almost said "no."
"We were back and forth about doing it because it was right before
Beauty Drive, our major fundraiser of the year," said Liotta.
During that time, Liotta and Beauty Bus co-founder (and Liotta's
cousin), Wendy Marantz Levine were Beauty Bus' only two employees
and were trying to figure out how they would pull off their annual
big fundraising event. But the producers of the documentary assured
them the cameras would not hinder their daily work-and it would
only be three days.
Liotta and Levine, who founded Beauty Bus after Liotta's cousin/
Levine's sister-Melissa Marantz Nealy-passed away from ALS in
2005, agreed to be a part of the documentary.
The Real Deal
The producers were not making a documentary, but were, in
fact, there to film a segment for the ABC reality show, Secret
Millionaire. The show debuted in March and features successful
self-made millionaires who have decided to reward
unsung heroes in communities across the country with hundreds
of thousands of dollars of their own money.
Beauty Bus, which was launched in July 2009, reaches out
to patients who suffer from diseases and illnesses with side
effects that affect their appearance and overall well-being.
A beauty professional volunteer visits the patient and
their primary caregiver in their home to treat them to a beauty
service. Beauty Bus also uses volunteer "buddies" who attend
the visit and help the professional with paperwork and
creating a fun, salon-like environment.
Beauty Bus caught the attention of one of the Secret Millionaire's
participating millionaires, Ali Brown, and that's how
Liotta and Levine became part of a reality show.
"We didn't suspect at all," said Liotta. "They chose a
volunteer for us to put through training. On the second day
she went as a buddy with Robbie Schaeffer, owner of RobB
OPI Concept Salon in Los Angeles, to a patient's house for a
Beauty Bus visit," she added.
"The next day, we met with the volunteer to debrief-
which we thought was a little weird."
At the debriefing, the volunteer confessed she had not
been completely honest. Ali Brown told Liotta and Levine
that she was an entrepreneur and mentor (alibrown.com),
and wanted to help Beauty Bus grow. Brown then presented
them with a check to help expand and grow Beauty Bus.
Expand and Grow
Since the filming last year Liotta and Levine have used the
windfall to hire a program manager, a development and program
associate, and a part-time program coordinator.
"We are now a staff of five and have office space, rather
than operating out of a room in my house," said Liotta.
The show airs April 10, on ABC at 8 p.m. EST. To learn
more about Beauty Bus and its 2011 Salon Partnership Program,
visit beautybus.org.
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