Arlington business owner and foster parent recognized on Today Show | ARLnow.com

An Arlington business owner and veteran was featured on NBC’s Today Show this week for a life of service to others.

The Today Show recognized Linda Cheeks, owner of Linda’s Unisex Hair Salon (2405 26th Road S.) in Long Branch Creek, for her work as a foster parent and other contributions to the Northern Virginia community. Cheeks, who also served in the U.S. Army in the 1970s, was featured on the morning show’s “Heroes Among Us” series.

Alongside NBC correspondent Morgan Radford, Cheeks received a surprise welcome from friends, former foster children and the Wakefield High School Marching Warriors band, before being gifted a brand new minivan.

Cheeks, of Dumfries, has fostered over 20 children since the late 2000s. In July, she earned the title of Foster Parent of the Year in Prince William County. As a business owner, she provides hairdressing services to senior living centers for free or at discounted rates.

“Your experience changes you. You don’t choose your parents, you don’t choose your brothers and sisters, you don’t choose your family, but you can choose to be in a family, regardless,” Cheeks told Radford. “It’s not about your beginning, it’s about your ending.”

Cheeks previously owned a minivan before it broke down in 2019, leading her to replace it with a smaller, used car.

The new minivan was gifted to Cheeks through Progressive’s Keys to Progress Veteran Vehicle Giveaway Program.