For the past six years, THON has been partnering with Wigs for Kids in order to “help kids feel like kids again.”
Unique to other companies who produce wigs for cancer patients, Wigs for Kids has dedicated its mission to providing families and children with hand-made, custom wigs at no cost to the family. Now that’s FTK!
Young and old, male and female, the stage was packed with people ready to make a difference in the lives of kids with cancer. Family Carnival captain Mick Gallagher wanted to be involved with coordinating the hair donation this year through Special Events as a way of “being closer connected to the kids,” while local hair stylists Jodi Meyer and Kaity Herb of Vive Bella generously donated their time and skills because they were “curious about what THON was all about.”
“This just seemed like the best way to get involved with such a great cause,” says Meyer.
But what would this event be without the amazing people willing to sheer their strands for the kids? Valley went behind the scenes with junior/communications committee member Jocelyn Skrocki to chronicle her hair-donating journey. Skrocki, who has donated her hair twice before through Relay for Life, couldn’t resist donating again at THON.
“It’s so easy for girls to donate their hair because we have so much of it and it grows so fast!” says Skrocki. Her goal is to give a total of eight donations, which is how much it takes to make a whole wig.
After coming off the stage Jocelyn says it feels like “a weight off her shoulders – almost surreal!”
Want to donate your locks to THON? Your hair has to be a minimum of 12 inches long (12 inches when straightened for curly hair and 12 inches when measured from the shortest layer for layered hair). Also, your hair shouldn’t be color-treated, permed or highlighted (temporary highlights and coloring are acceptable).
Learn more on the THON website (thon.org).
Photos by Jonathan Hsieh
