Fourteen-year-old Shea Arnold tightly closed her eyes as she sat in the salon chair. She sighed nervously as 11 inches from her long brown hair were bound into ponytails, cut, and placed in a plastic ziplock bag.
Shea Arnold, 14, right, watches as Krystal Gray, 18, left, prepares to tape her bag of donated hair to the Locks of Love board. The girls, from Harrodsburg, Ky., were among five in their group, including at least one leader, who gave to Locks of Love.“It’s soooo short!” Shea exclaimed as she ran her hands through her now unfamiliar locks. A group of excited girls stood by, flashing cameras at their friend. When it was all over, Shea proudly smiled with her bag containing seven ponytails, 77 inches of hair that will be used to make hairpieces for disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
“It’s short, but I like it, and it’s going to a good thing,” Shea said after hugging her friend who was next in line.
Shea, of Harrodsburg, Ky., was one of 120 girls and women from across the country who donated their hair to Locks of Love during Blume in Kansas City, Mo., July 10-13. Locks of Love was one of the 5 Ways of Giving featured during the national missions event for teenage girls and collegiate young women sponsored by national WMU. Ninety-three participants donated the requirement of at least 10 inches onsite.
Despite a few shed tears and nerves, most girls who donated said they had no second thoughts when it came to giving up something they cherished to help someone else. When haircuts were complete, girls were given their ponytails in plastic bags to pin on a board for all to see. Some wrote brief fun or heartfelt messages on their bags.
According to Locks of Love, children comprise more than 80 percent of the donors, making this a charity for which children have the opportunity to help other children.
Because of the missions hearts of girls like Shea who donated their hair at Blume, children from around the country will experience the self-esteem brought by a good hair day.