Melissa Donovan
Walking into a consignment store about 30 years ago, Martin “Leigh Shannon” Fugate saw an opportunity to use his drag scene experience as an asset to help the Central Florida community. Taking over that store which is now Ritzy Rags Wigs & More, he said he began selling costumes, wigs, jewelry, and makeup there and would have women cancer patients coming in in distress while looking for wigs. Losing his mother to breast cancer about 40 years ago, he said he felt a call to help.
“Every time I fit a woman, I feel like I’m helping my mom,” Shannon said. 
Ritzy Rags offers 15% off wigs for cancer patients year-round, but during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, they like to go the extra mile. From a partnership with Aderans, they have a free wig giveaway in October. People can apply by emailing ritzyragsemail@aol.com and get the chance to receive high-quality medical-grade wigs without spending a cent.
Along with offering wigs, Ritzy Rags also sells silicon breast forms to help patients feel confident again in their journey. The business sees itself as a “lifeline for cancer patients facing financial hardships.”
“When cancer starts, your whole world stops. Everything’s rearranged, and I’m a man, I don’t want to lose all my hair, either. But let me tell you, with women, it is something horrendous, and you have to make them feel good, look good, and I take a lot of pride in that. We do it well,” Shannon said.
Shannon ensures to put the customers first, especially when dealing with such fragile situations. He said he will FaceTime or Zoom clients before they come in and before they lose their hair so he can see what their natural hair is like and what they may want for a wig.
“I’m very thorough in what I do. It isn’t just picking out a wig. You have to talk to the client, and discuss things, and it’s almost like you’re a psychiatrist because some women come in mad that they have cancer. Some women are ready to go and just get their hair off,” Shannon said.
His many years working as a female impersonator and entertainer, first at Hamburger Mary’s and now at The Villages, connects him to the store very well. In a recent press release he said his dedication to the cancer community is matched with his showbiz flair by being a beacon of hope for those he meets.
Monika Koleva took part in Ritzy Rags giveaway last October after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023. Something she said she “never in a million years” thought would happen to her.
“I just remember blacking out when I hung up the phone with the doctor and taking the rest of the day off from work to kind of mourn by myself before my fiancé and kids came home,” Koleva said. “I was 30 years old when I got diagnosed and that’s almost unheard of – you usually hear older women being diagnosed with breast cancer so that’s why I want to raise as much awareness as possible that everyone needs to check themselves, regardless of age.”
Koleva knew Shannon from a previous job she had, and she said she saw an advertisement he put up last year about the wig donation program and decided to apply.
Shortly after, she received a call saying she could get one of the giveaway wigs, and the journey to getting her confidence back began.
“I swear walking into his shop was like seeing an old best friend. As soon as I walked in, he came over and hugged me and I just started sobbing. I had just lost my hair and that was such a confidence killer. I know it seems silly but I lost my breasts and now my long brown hair so I just wasn’t feeling great about myself and he let me just cry before we started,” Koleva said.
Koleva was able to find a wig almost identical to her natural hair, which she said made her feel beautiful again. She said she finds businesses with causes like these bring a “no one fights alone mentality,” which she said makes cancer easier to cope with.
Koleva is currently in remission after a year of fighting breast cancer. During that time, she had a double mastectomy, underwent chemotherapy and radiation and faced other challenges along the way.
“My kids were 1 and 4 at the time, and after my mastectomy, I couldn’t lift more than 5 lbs so I could barely hold my kids. I was also extremely immunosuppressed during chemo, so I had to stay away from them for like a week after each chemo infusion,” Koleva said. “It was very hard on me mentally and there were definitely days where I wanted to quit but I had to push through for my kids. They were my reason why.”
Caring for the cancer community is something Shannon is passionate about, and he said his late mother inspires him in what he does every day. While he helps customers deal with some of the most life-altering circumstances such as cancer, he is also delighted with the fact his store has become a haven for people from a variety of communities to visit.
“I think my biggest accomplishment is being able to help women. But, I also believe in diversity. I mean, last Friday, I had two women with cancer, I had a gay guy buying makeup to do drag, I also had the little girls for the Orlando ballet in for hairpieces. So, all these people are in my store at the same time, and they’re not racist, they’re not prejudiced, they’re company. And that’s the kind of store I wanted,” Shannon said.
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