A girl stroked her long hair and whimpered: “This is my baby.”
Christi Rowe was quick to console her.
“It’ll look so good. You’re doing something good,” she said.
Those were the dual themes yesterday at Davie County High School — sporting a stylish new short haircut and doing something good, in this case donating hair to be used in wigs for cancer victims who have lost their hair from chemotherapy.
This is the second year that Christi, a junior, has held a hair drive at the school. She expanded it this year to include members of the community, sending thousands of fliers home with all the kids in Davie County schools.
About 45 people showed up to have at least 8 inches of hair cut by volunteer stylists from Lusso Hair Studio in Winston-Salem.
Long hair is popular among teenage girls, so getting a good bit of hair whacked is a sacrifice. But it was one that Allison Smith, a senior, said she was ready to make.
Although she gets her hair trimmed regularly, Allison hasn’t had short hair since her freshman year.
“In a group setting, you’re making a big change but with other people,” Allison said. “It was easy to stop by and get a haircut, and it’s going to a great cause.”
When Christi was in the first grade, she had to come up with a goal as a class assignment. Hers was to cut and donate her hair for wigs 10 times. Why 10?
“It was a nice, even number,” she said.
Christi said she probably didn’t have a great reason for picking this particular cause, but as she has gotten older she has witnessed some of the devastating consequences of cancer, reaffirming her commitment.
“I want to make a difference, and everything takes money,” said Christi, who was organizing waves of girls and women showing up to get their hair cut. “And I just thought, ‘Why not do this?’ It takes no money, and it’s something I have.”
Christi is halfway to her goal set as a first-grader, cutting and donating her hair five times.
Tuesday, each participant’s hair was cut and pulled together in a ponytail, then labeled and put into a plastic bag that will be sent to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program. Pantene is a manufacturer of hair-care products.
The hair will be used in wigs, with each wig requiring eight to 14 donations of hair.
Eight inches of those bagged donations belonged to Kristin Campbell, a junior. Her hair fell silky and smooth down her back moments before she was called forward.
She was a bit nervous about a new look that would feature shoulder-length hair, but her resolve was firm.
“I want to do something good for somebody.”