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Students donate Locks of Love
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Imagine being a child so sick, you lose your hair. That is the harsh reality many
children face.
On Saturday, April 4, the Honors Student Association held its seventh annual Locks of Love event at Hairmasters. This nonprofit event was open to anyone in the Boise community who had 10 or more inches of healthy, non-bleached hair and wanted a
free haircut.
Emma McInturff, coordinator for the Locks of Love Cut-Off, said the donations are used to make wigs for financially disabled children who suffer from terminal hair loss.
“This is a unique opportunity to volunteer to a cause I think is worthwhile,” McInturff said. She donated to Locks of Love a year and a half ago.
Among those who showed up at Hairmasters were sisters Susan Filkins and Lori Gibson, and Lori’s daughter, Breanna. The family had been growing their hair out for two years, and Susan donated a foot of hair, while Lori donated 15 inches and Breanna 16 inches.
“Some people identify themselves by their hair,” Filkins said. “But hair is temporary. My hair can grow, and others don’t have
that opportunity.”
Gibson added, “I know if I were in that position, I’d want someone to help me get hair on my head!”
Another donor, a 7-year-old girl named Bailey Newberry, had been growing her hair for two years. She decided eight months ago to donate her hair to Locks of Love, because in her words, “I want to help the little kids that have cancer.” Newberry watched a relative grow her hair out for Locks of Love, began asking questions about it, and decided to do the same.
BSU student Katie McRae has also watched friends donate to Locks of Love, and decided to come out Saturday and donate 10
inches herself.
Hairstylist Brittany Fullmer was busy cutting and styling hair all morning.
“I think it’s really cool,” Fullmer said. “But it was more traumatizing for me [to cut their hair off] than it was for them!”
According to McInturff, it takes six to eight donations of hair to make a wig. The hair colors from different donations are matched to make wigs of different colors and lengths for children under age 18 who suffer from hair loss as a result of medical conditions, such as cancer.
Filkins and Gibson can relate – their father recently passed away from cancer, so the hair-cutting event had a special meaning
to them.
“Everyone knows someone who has cancer,” Filkins said. “This is a chance to
give back."
KAREY HOKE
Arbiter Journalist
