On Friday, the Medical Careers Club brought a new fundraising event to EHS: Cuts for Cancer.
Cuts for Cancer was one in a recent series of events intended to raise money for Anderson Hospital.
Nearly 250 students pledged $5 or more towards a student getting their hair cut, Jennifer Weller said, sponsor of the Medical Careers Club. Together all the participants raised $1,150 for the Anderson Hospital ICU. Those that pledged were excused from sixth hour to enjoy music, food, games and of course, watch their friends cut their hair.
Mr. Morrissey, Shawn Semmler, Austin Pizzini and Mitchell Pearson all shaved their head and Katie Chartand, Abi Clere, Kassie Klaus and Allyson Bergman got 8-12 inches of hair cut off to donate.
The girls’ hair was donated to the Pantene “Give Beautiful Lengths” program. Pantene makes real hair wigs for cancer patients and gives them to patients for free. “We chose the Pantene program because they give the wigs to the patients for free and they go to patients all over the country,” Ms. Wellers said.
Most of the students that donated their hair were members of the Medical Careers Club except for Semmler and Bergman. Bergman approached Ms. Weller and asked to take part in the event, “A family friend has breast cancer so it just felt like the right time,” Bergman said.
The Pantene “Give Beautiful Lengths” program is a partnership between Pantene and the American Cancer Society. According to the Pantene website, the program had donated 24,000 wigs to American Cancer Society wig banks across the nation since its start in 2006, “More than 500,000 pony tails donated so far and growing,” the website states. “To us, it’s hair, but to women with cancer, it’s hope.”