Students, teachers will donate hair for cancer program

Twenty-three students and teachers at the Scott City School District will bid farewell to their ponytails today for a good cause.

The hair will be cut and donated to the Beautiful Lengths program, a partnership between Pantene and the American Cancer Society.

Since 2006, Pantene has donated 24,000 free real-hair wigs to the American Cancer Society's wig banks, which distribute wigs to cancer patients across the country, according to Pantene's website.

The public is invited to attend the assembly at 2:45 p.m. today at the Scott City High School gym, where participants will have at least 8 inches of their hair cut.

Sara Bradshaw, a middle-school teacher who organizes the event, has been donating her hair every two years for the past several years -- first to Locks of Love and now to Beautiful Lengths.

She was inspired by a former student who had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"Ever since I had her, I decided I was going to do this every two years," Bradshaw said. "I'm not going to lie: I'm attached to my hair. But I know it's going to a good cause."

The first assembly was held in 2008, when about seven students donated their ponytails.

"I just keep spreading the word," Bradshaw said. "The younger students, even before they have me, they hear about it because they get to come to the assembly, and they'll decide right then they're going to do this and cut their hair."

Eighth-graders Paige Cummins and Kaileigh Dirden will be among those donating their hair Monday.

"I've been wanting to do it since I was 3 or 4 years old," Paige said of making the donation. "My hair is finally long enough, and it's for a really good cause."

Kaileigh said she isn't nervous about getting her hair cut.

"I feel really good helping kids with cancer," she said. "So I don't care if I have short hair. I just want to help those kids and people out."

klamb@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

3000 Main St., Scott City, Mo.