Cincinnati, Ohio, September 21, 2018 – More than 50 students and one of their teachers made a very personal gift to cancer patients during school. The girls participated in a hair cutting event at Saint Ursula Academy, to donate their long locks to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which provides free, real-hair wigs to women living with cancer.
Each girl agreed to cut at least 8-inches of her long locks to donate. Pantene, in turn, collects the ponytails, creates wigs, and ships them all over the world. This is the last year Pantene will offer this program. Several area hairdressers donated their time to participate in the event. The students also heard from breast cancer survivor, Pam Zavakos, who was diagnosed in 2017. She also donated her time as a hairdresser for the event.
The goal is to collect real hair and to increase awareness about the need for wigs for cancer patients. It also creates a tangible and personal way for the Saint Ursula Academy students to help those who are battling cancer.
“We are so proud of the students and faculty who stepped up to make this selfless donation, and of the girls who showed up to support them,” said Saint Ursula Academy Principal Dr. Mari Thomas. “They are following our theme for the year and acting as contemporary prophets, inspiring others to make a difference in the world.”
Saint Ursula’s student Wellness Committee coordinated the event with guidance from health teacher Heather Williams and her Contemporary Issues in Women's Health class. Anne Deters ’19 and Hannah Durbin ’19 took the lead in handling sign-ups and introducing the guest speaker.
Saint Ursula has participated in this event several times over the past 12 years, championing the program that has been generously supported by people all over North America with their hair donations, and provided thousands of wigs to women undergoing cancer treatment.
The Karen Wellington Foundation, which raises money for trips and experiences for women battling breast cancer, also had representatives at the event to sell t-shirts.
A special thanks to the hair stylists who donated their time and their salons.
Urban Salon
Katie Kummer
Caitlin Daniels
Danielle Gillespie
Salon DeSales
Patty Clark
Hot Heads Hair Salon
Amy Hall
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 Saint Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2018 earned college scholarships totaling more than $21-million.