Today my stepdaughter Sunni sacrificed something very beautiful and precious for the sake of a child she’s never met. For the last year, she’s been growing out her long strawberry blonde hair so that she could donate it to the “Locks of Love” foundation. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides children who have cancer, alopecia (or other medical conditions causing long-term hair loss) with natural-looking wigs, free of charge.
“Locks of Love” was once relatively unheard of, but now it is well-known due to television and media exposure. Recently, my daughter’s middle school had an assembly where several girls had their hair cut in front of the entire student body in order to donate to the foundation. This prompted one of Sunni’s closest friends to grow her hair out and donate. Sunni decided to join the cause. It was a very giving thing for her to do because her hair is her livelihood. Sunni has always been known for her beautiful hair–it’s one of her greatest physical assets.
As she sat in the beautician’s chair, I could tell she was a little nervous. “Are you ready for this?” I asked. She was. The hairdresser measured her hair and divided it into two ponytails. Then she gave Sunni the scissors. She reached over her shoulder and sawed across the ponytail. It was surreal for her to hold it in her hand.
“Some child is going to have a beautiful head of hair,” I told her. According to Locks of Love, the majority of their donations are from children, and are given to other children in need. What a wonderful thing that so many children are willing to, quite literally, give of themselves.
How to Donate to Locks of Love
- In order to donate, you must have at least ten inches of hair to give.
- The hair should be dry, clean, and bound together in a ponytail or braid, secured with an elastic. Cut above the elastic so the hair remains bound. Hair swept from the floor cannot be used.
- Put the cut ponytail or braid into a plastic bag. (A large ziplock bag works well.) Write the name and address of the donor on a piece of paper, and put it in the bag with the hair. (Important so that the donor can receive an acknowledgement.)
- Place the bag into a padded envelope. Send to: Locks of Love, 2925 10th Avenue North, Ste. 102, Lake Worth, FL 33461
For more information about Locks of Love, and to see some terrific pictures of recipients wearing their new hairpieces, visit the Locks of Love website by clicking here.
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