Cincinnati, Ohio – October 9, 2017 –– Several of the young women on the campus of Saint Ursula Academy are sporting a new, shorter hairstyle this week as they strive to live the mission of the school by building a better world for those stricken with cancer. In all, 87 students, teachers, and parents participated in the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Hair Cutting Event at Saint Ursula Academy. Each participant had at least 8 inches of her long locks cut by professional hairstylists to donate to the cause, which provides free wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments.
Saint Ursula Academy hosts this event every other year in order to give plenty of time for the student’s hair to grow between events. This is the third time Saint Ursula Academy has hosted the event, with over 200 donations recorded totaling over 1,720 inches of hair!
Organizers Caroline Wells ’18 of Anderson Township and Lydia Hill ’18 of Union Township worked with SUA Physical Education Teacher Heather Williams to make sure the students realized the importance of their donations. Breast cancer survivor Tracie Martin spoke with students about her diagnosis and how the little things people did for her helped with her to stay focused on her treatment and recovery. She encouraged the girls to do what they could do for someone fighting cancer, whether they donate hair, babysit children, or remember the cancer victim in prayer.
SUA’s Laura Weideman ’18 of Anderson Township is very familiar with the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. She donated hair for the first time at four years old. She vividly remembers encountering a cousin who was undergoing chemotherapy and wore a wig. The cousin took off the wig and thanked Laura for her selfless gift and told her that without the wig, and the love felt from those who donate hair, she would feel out of place and embarrassed. Since that encounter, Laura has donated an additional four times and in all, has donated over 50 inches of hair!
Laura is proud of her donation. “It helps to empower women who are experiencing such troublesome times. It is hard to fathom what these women are going through and I love to do anything I can to help out. I've chosen to donate these 50 inches of hair because I am blessed to have hair that grows so fast, and it is such a small thing that I can do to really boost another's confidence.”
Laura and the other young ladies who participated in the Pantene Beautiful Lengths event may be sporting a shorter hairstyle this week, but it is evident that their hearts continue to grow for those in need.
Saint Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. Saint Ursula welcomes students from more than 90 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Academy is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2017 earned college scholarships totaling more than $21-million.
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Photo caption: SUA’s Laura Weideman ’18 of Anderson Township donated hair for the fifth time during Saint Ursula Academy’s Beautiful Lengths Event. Over the past 13 years, Laura has donated over 50 inches of hair to help make wigs for women battling cancer.