CHARLESTON—A lot of long-haired girls at Bishop England High School will be sporting the latest in short hairdos come May 4, 2012.
That’s the date of the great cut-off, when everyone participating in the school’s Locks of Love hair-raising event will lop it off for a good cause.
The cause is to help provide wigs for children with cancer and other diseases that lead to hair loss.
Christine Ronco, an English teacher and golf coach at the school, said she chose Locks of Love as their stewardship event based on research papers from her students.
The non-profit takes donated hair and makes wigs for children, Ronco said, and it takes about six ponytails to fashion one hairpiece.
Ronco is growing her hair, and every day she tries to recruit more people to put aside their vanity in the name of love. So far, about 18 girls have signed up.
Not to be outdone, the guys are also doing their part. Ronco said her promotional committee consists mostly of boys because they all wanted to participate, but could never sprout 10 inches of hair before May.
On average, strands grow about half an inch per month.
The guys are in charge of posters, banners, flyers, T-shirts and more. They are also reaching out to the feeder schools and anyone in the community who can come up with 10 inches of hair in the next eight months.
Ronco knows lots of girls love their long tresses and are hesitant to cut it, but she encourages them to think of the joy they could give a child.
“It’ll grow back,” she said. “They are going to help kids who are fighting a disease that right now is incurable.”
Casey Roche, a junior, was one of those children. Ronco explained that Casey had cancer as a child, so she knows what it feels like, and is now a regular donor to Locks of Love.
Elizabeth Cochran, a freshman, is writing her term paper on the non-profit, serves on the fund-raising committee and is donating her locks.
“I am fortunate to have very long hair, but in the process of learning about children with Alopecia Areata, a hair loss disease, I couldn’t imagine not cutting my hair for those less fortunate,” she wrote in an e-mail.
On the big day, stylists will cut hair gathered at the nape of the neck in a ponytail or braid and then shape the rest.
To join the fundraiser, contact Christine Ronco at (207) 485-0444, or cronco@behs.com.