There’s no such thing as a free haircut — unless of course you’re donating those lengthy tresses to “Cuts for Cancer”. This year’s event drew dozens of Carls who chose to lop off their hair for a good cause.
ACT volunteers set up the event in the Great Hall, which ran all day to the accompaniment of snappy music on the radio. Hair stylists from Buzz Salon, Great Clips, Studio 300, and T&R Beauty Bar came to donate their time at the many haircut stations up and down the Great Hall walls.
They weren’t the only ones to pitch in. Students, staff, and faculty could all contribute to the event in several different ways. Donors with ten inches of hair or more to cut could donate their ponytails to Locks of Love, a foundation that uses the hair to make free wigs for children who have lost their hair to chemotherapy or illness. Those with less lengthy locks could help out too, as even short-hair donations were taken (Locks of Love sells shorter donations to commercial wigmakers to help cover the organization’s operating costs). Those who were just there for a haircut could donate to the Ted Mullin Memorial Fund, which supports cancer research at the University of Chicago.
Many opted to shave their heads as an act of solidarity with those who have lost their hair to chemotherapy.
Besides donating hair or money, students could volunteer their time running the event or make a memorial to departed loved ones. Cujokra and the Harriers added comic relief to cheer along everybody who participated with a special show, “Improv vs. Breakdance.”
The event was highly successful: 37 people donated hair to Locks of Love (compared with 18 last year), 65 people got haircuts (even though there were only 49 appointments scheduled), and the event raised $1297 for cancer research!