Help Other by Donating Your Hair

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and with this time comes an abundance of caring people who donate everything from their time, money, and even their own hair to help out others. There are plenty of stories all over the country about individuals giving up something in order to help others. These people range from almost all ages and their contribution greatly helps those in need no matter what disease or ailment is effecting them. Normally people would participate in fundraisers, walk-a-thons, or other methods but, hair has been a growing contributor to these types of beneficial deeds including cash donations, sacrificing time, and of course chopping of the hair for contribution. There are so many people helping out and so many ways of helping, they can't all be mentioned here.

How Others are Helping

There are plenty of ways to help out any cause, but lets start at the simplest ones. Sarah Reed, owner of Curves for Women challenged her friends and co-workers to raise $2000 for the American Cancer Society and cut off her hair for the cause. Many salons and spas are also getting involved by bringing in workers who volunteer for hair styling for donations to help different organizations. Other hair salons provide a pink extension for a donation as well. These are just a few minor ways hair salons are helping out. In many schools, teachers, principles, and students have their hair cut off in order to raise money. An example is Green Valley High School which got involved with teachers getting their hair shaved for fundraisers and hair donations. Rick Zeeff a store manager of Meijer grocery stores shaved off his hair as his store raised over $19,000 for the United Way. Individuals are also contributing by themselves by donating their hair. Individuals like 9 year old Sheraya Smith, 18 year old Elysha McLain, and 16 year old Lynsey McLain all chopped off their locks and donated them to organizations that create wigs from the hair for individuals who need them. There are plenty of other individuals helping out with many different methods.

Where to Donate Hair

For individuals wanting to donate their own hair, there are a few organizations and each has it's own guidelines for hair length and other rules for insuring quality hair. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that helps kids who have lost their hair due to medical conditions by taking donations of hair and cash. To donate hair, view their guidelines, or learn more visit the official site at Locks of Love Donation. Another company that is similar to Locks of Love is Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program. This program helps out women who have lost their hair due to cancer by providing a quality hair piece by HairUWear®. To learn more on this program and download a donation kit, visit Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. Wigs for Kids is yet another organization that helps give kids who have lsot their hair, a quality hairpiece through various donations. This are just a few organizations and there are many others as well that can use all the help they can get.

List of Hair Donation Organizations

• Wigs for Kids
  21330 Center Ridge Road, Ste 26
  
  Rocky River, OH 44116
  phone: 440-333-4433
  440-333-3850
• Locks of Love
  2925 10th Avenue North
  Suite 102
  Lake Worth, FL 33461
  Phone: (561) 963-1677
  Fax: (561) 963-9914
  Toll Free: (888) 896-1588
• Pantene Beautiful Lengths
  511 Wisconsin Drive
  New Richmond, WI 54017-2613
  Phone: 1-800-945-7768
• Childhood Leukemia Foundation
  807 Mantoloking Rd Suite 203
  Brick, New Jersey 08723
  Phone: 1-888-CLF-7109
  Fax: 1-732-920-8859