Project Spotlight: Locks of Love

By Seong Jong Hong     8/31/11 7:00pm

Rice students might be in for a close shave, come September 19. And no, not that close shave you had when you didn't do the assigned reading for a class, but your teacher just happened to push back the quiz to another day.

On September 19, Rice will host its first Locks of Love Drive in the RMC, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The drive, organized by the Rice chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, will attempt to collect donated hair for prosthetic hair pieces, which typically cost from $3,500 to $6,000 for children.

Rice CAC organized this drive to increase awareness on campus of serious consequences of having cancer.

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Although this drive may not raise sufficient funds to donate a significant amount, the event will be an opportunity for Rice students to show their sympathy and support for the cause.

According to Susannah Webb, a Community Associate at McMurtry College who helped organize this event, a Houston stylist will cut hair for the donators. If 10 or more inches of hair are donated, then the stylist will cut and style that person's hair for free.

This length is the minimum required for contributing to prosthetic hair pieces, but those donating shorter hair can receive a discounted cut and style if the hair is from 6 to 10 inches long.

Since the shorter hair cannot be used in hair pieces, they will be sold to help cover costs for making the pieces, said Webb; thus a sponsorship system will be in place to encourage fundraising.

People can sponsor a friend to donate hair by pledging money for every inch of hair donated to Locks of Love.

This ambitiously planned  project is in its first year and might not receive expected levels of enthusiasm, as there exists no precedent to use to predict the drive's success. Webb voiced her uncertainty regarding this project.

"This is our first year for Locks of Love, hopefully the first one of many to come," she explained. "I'm doing it; I have 10 inches of hair. I'll try to lead by example."

This project, led by Rice CAC, was mainly organized by the CAC officers, according to McMurtry junior Yian Lo, the vice-president of Rice CAC.

There will be opportunities for students to lend help to this worthy cause. Lo stated that CAC is thinking about having people sign up to man the booths where the donators will be signing up for the drive.

For those interested in donating hair but who do not have hair 10 inches long, they will have to sign up in advance, since as aforementioned those with 10 inches or more are of greater priority.

The deadline for the sign up will be September 12. Contact rice.cac@gmail.com for more information on donating hair and on signing up to volunteer.

"Project Spotlight" is a weekly feature that looks at student projects that are making a difference in the Rice community.

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