The Justice

EVERY BIT COUNTS: Colin Nickels '08 holds up the chunks of hair he donated. All the hair will be donated to the Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths campaign, which helps make wigs for cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy. People who donated hair knew, said Katy Agule '09, that "their hair would really help someone feel normal."

Jessica Hutcheson '11 tried to look stoic as she awaited the single snip that would send nine inches of her golden locks to the carpeted floor of Sherman Function Hall.

In her hands she held an empty Ziploc bag that, in just a few minutes, would be filled with enough of her locks to make a single wig for a patient undergoing chemotherapy cancer treatment.

Hutcheson was one of 53 Brandeis students, faculty and Waltham residents to participate in the Hair Donation Event on Wednesday, April 8th.

A wide variety of religious organizations and activist clubs sponsored the program, including the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, the Waltham Group, Tzedek Hillel, Mitzvah Corps, Colleges Against Cancer, Save a Child's Heart, Student Peace Alliance and Brandeis University Recycling Program. Tamar Rock '10, BOO's Chesed coordinator, came up with the idea for the Hair Donation Event and was largely responsible for organizing the donations.

"It's a really great feeling to know that our hair that will always grow back will go to someone else," said Rock, who'd already donated her hair to Locks of Love several times before donating on Wednesday.

All hair donors were required to cut off a minimum of eight inches of hair, which was given to Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths, an organization that donates hair to the American Cancer Society to make wigs for cancer patients in chemotherapy. Hairstylists from Great Cuts in Waltham worked at the event and by the end of the day had sheared off a total of 39 feet of hair, enough to make about 20 wigs.

Aviva Zadoff '10 had been deliberating for some time before the event whether or not she'd be willing to part with her hair. In order to ensure the significance of her contribution, Zadoff announced on Facebook that she'd only donate her hair if she could raise $150 for a cancer society.

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools