A surprise to Cancer Patients at Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center

Today, August 18th, former Allure Magazine beauty editor Lindsay Colameo Peragallo delivered more than 75 bags filled with luxury self-care—each valued at approximately $400—to cancer patients at Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center.

Lindsay is the founder of Beauty Holiday Inc., a 501c(3) non-profit whose mission is to transform product surplus into empowering self-care to support women and families facing hardship. The story began as an annual “beauty purge” in Lindsay’s New York City apartment, where the former beauty editor shared her overflowing stash of products with friends and family. It was in 2022, after Hurricane Ian devastated her Florida community, that she transformed her efforts into a charitable mission, curating and delivering self-care relief packages for those who lost everything. The mission has since evolved into a movement of giving back, community, and empowerment.

These gift bags are filled with premium products from top-tier brands, and thoughtfully paired with handwritten notes to provide a moment of comfort, support, and dignity to women in the midst of a difficult health journey.

Hacknesack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center was selected as the beneficiary where Lindsay’s father, Kenneth J. Colameo, DMD, serves as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and was a cancer survivor treated at JTCC. Supporting breast cancer patients is a mission close to both Lindsay and the Cedar Lakes community, and together, volunteers packed not just gifts, but tangible reminders that no one walks their journey alone.

This was never more evident than today when the fruits of their labor brought unexpected joy to the infusion suites at the John Theurer Cancer Center. As patients undergoing treatment were surprised with the jam-packed goody bags, the atmosphere in the room visibly shifted. Faces lit up with delighted smiles, and expressions of deep gratitude were shared with the staff and volunteers. For a few precious moments, the clinical reality of treatment faded, replaced by a wave of warmth and community support. It brightened their day and fortified their outlook, which is the entire point of this heartfelt project. This initiative perfectly complements the mission of the JTCC, New Jersey's #1 cancer center. The Center is renowned not only for providing world-class medical care for the treatment of the disease but also for nurturing a patient's soul and their ability to keep going on. It is the JTCC's own "Surprise and Delight Team" that often orchestrates these moments, working with community partners to ensure patients receive more than just medicine; they receive gestures of self-care and powerful reminders that they are cared for as a whole person.

Today, Beauty Holiday has received more than $500,000 worth of donated beauty and wellness products, with support from incredible brand partners like Rare Beauty, Kendra Scott, and Fabletics. They have directly touched the lives of more than 1,300 women and families across the country—from survivors in abuse shelters, to mothers navigating the heartbreak of grief, to individuals battling critical illness or enduring crises like the LA Fires. Each Beauty Holiday gift delivers moments of self-care, hope, and support to those facing their hardest days.

Beauty Holiday’s work is made possible through the generosity of individuals, brands, and community partners who believe in the power of self-care to uplift. Together, we can turn moments of care into a movement of hope.