Project lets kids give of themselves

Many of the kids needing the hair have lost theirs to a medical condition.

CANFIELD — Last year, Canfield Parent Teacher Organization President Betty Leone wanted to organize a community service project that would teach children about giving to others.

When she learned about the organizations Locks of Love and Wigs for Kids, she knew they were the right ones.

Instead of doing something that involved donating or raising money, Leone felt the kids would get more out of donating their hair.

“To give their hair — it’s giving a part of themselves. It’s so awesome,” Leone said.

Pupils in the Canfield school system were told about the project last spring, giving them a year to grow the 10-inch ponytail required for a donation.

Soon it will be time to make the donations, but the activity is open to more than just Canfield pupils, Leone said.

Anyone wishing to participate should contact Leone at (330) 533-0037 or Craig Olson at (330) 533-2785 by Feb. 29 to register for an appointment to have a professional hairstylist cut off the ponytail at Canfield High School from 2 to 4 p.m. April 13.

Registration forms are available at all Canfield school offices and at participating hair salons.

Once registered, donors will be contacted for an appointment.

One benefit to the donor is that he or she will receive a great new style from a stylist that day, Leone said. Area hairstylists and the Canfield Rotary Club are volunteering their services.

Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization in Lake Worth, Fla., that provides hair pieces for children up to age 18 who are suffering long-term hair loss. Many of the children suffer from a hair-loss condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cure. Others have lost their hair because of burns or chemotherapy.

Hair donations will also go to a Rocky River, Ohio, nonprofit organization called Wigs for Kids, which also provides hair replacements for kids. Locks of Love can accept hair that has been permed or dyed, but Wigs for Kids cannot.