From the head and heart
Middle school teachers, students - and one little girl - give hair to charity
By Bobbi Mlynar
Friday, March 14, 2008
Sunnin Keosybounheuang mailed off more than 100 inches of hair Thursday after eight young women and a 3-year-old girl had pony tails lopped off for Locks of Love.
Locks of Love provides wigs to people who have severe hair loss caused by cancer treatments or other medical conditions.
Keosybounheuang, a health and wellness teacher at Emporia Middle School, organized the project, which took place Thursday morning at EMS.
“It went very well,” she said. “I know the girls were excited. I just kept telling them, ‘You don’t even understand the gift you’re giving. It was an amazing gift.’”
Six students, two staff members and the child participated.
Teacher Becki Goodman did a double donation. The first 10 inches cut from her extra-long hair went to Locks of Love. Additional inches were cut an inch at a time, one inch for every $50 donated to the Salvation Army’s emergency fund.
“She had around $300 donated and it ended up she cut about 19 inches, after it was cut and measured,” Keosybounheuang said.
Her 3-year-old daughter, Kalia, was among those donating hair.
“She actually held Mrs. Goodman’s hand when they got their hair cuts,” Keosybounheuang said.
“A little girl needed it because she has cancer,” Kalia said to the photographer who took her picture.
The haircuts and subsequent stylings, done in a 2-hour time span, were donated by hair stylists Kellie Baker and Danielle Slater of Salon Mirage and Evy Lopez of Reflections.
Those who donated hair to Locks of Love, in addition to Kalia and Goodman, were: Samantha Humphreys, Serrell Aranda, Sandra Pahamuba, Michelle Perez, Amy Gonzalez, Viviana Gutierrez, and O’Dalis Perez.
emporia (anonymous) says...
To all these beautiful woman and little Kalia, you're awesome!
Thanks to Kellie, Danielle, and Evy for being so kind to help with this. God Bless you all!
March 14, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )