As a three-year old, Nuala already has the wonderful ability to think about and care for others. She recently donated her ponytail to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, and says that she hopes that her hair can go to a girl who has been sick and that it will make her feel better about herself.
Thank you, Nuala for your incredibly kind donation to Pantene Beautiful Lengths!
Emily Georgakopoulos held her hair up in her mirror at home, visualizing the new length on herself “a million times.” The sixteen year old was not encouraged by what she saw - as a girl whose very long hair fell over her shoulder blades, She could not imagine it being cut above her shoulders.
But on January 6, 2012, she sat on the gym floor at Londonderry High School, along with 231 other donors, to cut her hair in a simultaneous donation to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
2012 marked the sixth year holding our annual cutting event on a January morning at the high school. Formerly a part of the winter sports pep rally, the numbers have grown so large, that it is now a separate “Day of Giving” assembly. The assembly is attended by the 1700 students at this New Hampshire high school, and hundreds of family, friends and community members.
The cut is a moment, the end of a journey that is years in the making. With 232 students, staff and alumni being cut all at once, it seems like a spectacle, and it is a sight to behold, but for every cut there is a story that can be told, some sad, some humorous, a reason that brought that individual to the gym floor.
These are the angels of Londonderry High School. It is an honor, with the support of the administration and faculty, to organize this opportunity for them to give.
Each angel received an “I pledged” t- shirt when they signed up, with the date of the event written on it. Long after that shirt has worn thin, they will still forever be one of our angels. The smile I see on each donor’s face after the cut never completely leaves their face.
This year, Governor John Lynch attended the event as our honored guest. He mingled with the donor/angels, and said a few words during the ceremony. It was a wonderful verification of our event to have him there. A few weeks later, he invited a few of the angels to attend his State of the State Address, and mentioned the event in his address as “the best of New Hampshire”.
This year was also special as we exceeded one thousand total donors. As part of a promise I made to her when we reached one thousand, I invited our very first donor, Ellyse Davis, to attend and see what she helped to begin. It was wonderful to have her there.
Also in attendance were Stephen Davis and his daughter Janet and her young family. Stephen’s wife, Ginger, was a teacher at the school, who lost her long battle with cancer last year. She had called out the “3-2-1 cut!” our very first year, the call that started it all. We presented Stephen with a large photo of Ginger calling out the cut, and making the call has now become an honor. This year, senior Kirsten Malloy, who donated three years in a row to honor her late mother, and has inspired so many to give, made the call.
Several state executives from the American Cancer Society were also in attendance. It is such an honor to have them there, to recognize their efforts with counseling and distribution of the wigs. I like to think of the angels donating as one end of the rainbow, and the ACS folks distributing the wigs as the other end of that rainbow, with the Hair U Wear folks and the support from Pantene all part of the rainbow’s sparkling arc.
Twenty-five local hair stylists also gave up their morning to be here and provide their expertise and TLC. The day would not be possible without them. Our wrestling room, transformed overnight by our custodial staff and Amy Fliger, a senior planning to attend cosmetology school, becomes the most beautiful salon in America for a few brief hours. All the clients are angels.
One humorous story told on the floor involved teachers Bridget and Lindsey. Friends since they were young, Bridget and Lindsey’s cut each other’s hair during a sleepover in tenth grade, and Lindsey’s hair was very short afterward, much shorter than expected. The next day, Lindsey’s boyfriend broke up with her. Lindsey stopped talking to Bridget for weeks. Well, to make a long story short, years later Lindsey ended up marrying that guy who broke up with her. Now, on the gym floor this morning, they were once again cutting each other’s hair. We all wondered, would the marriage survive another Bridget haircut? (It did).
As always, there are stories of loss, and strength beyond understanding. I sometimes read through the stories the donors write for me, and I recall the Dickens’ line, when Scrooge sees in his dream that the Cratchit family has lost Tiny Tim – “How does one endure it?”
Senior Valerie Lacasse donated this year as a senior for the second time in her high school career. She and her older sister Katie have donated multiple times. Katie first donated as a support for her mom, who had brain cancer. Her mother passed away, but only a week later, at the 2010 event, Valerie donated to honor her mother. They were on the floor again this morning, Katie wielding the scissors, Valerie donating her beautiful lengths, that in a few months would have been a prom updo, to put a smile on the face of someone else’s mother, who receives a perfectly color-matched real-hair wig, and doesn’t have to see the illness in the mirror, and as one woman told me, people no longer look at you with a “so sorry” pout and hold doors for you, no matter how far away you are.
Emily. Valerie. Lindsey. Ellyse. Bridget. Two hundred thirty two individuals, with so many students and family and community members ( what we refer to as “Lancer Nation”) supporting their efforts in so many ways. Photos capture the smiles, the sadness, the emotion as Lancer Nation gives of itself.
I saw Emily yesterday and asked if she liked her length. She smiled an “I don’t know if I should say this” smile, and said no. Now seven weeks out, it had grown enough that she was going for a trim, to shorten her bangs and style it differently. Did she regret making the cut?
Not at all. Not a bit.
No wonder we call them angels.
Year seven. 1/11/13.
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This moving story was written by Steve Juster, an English teacher at Londonderry High School
All photos were provided by The Lancer Spirit newspaper staff
Do you have a story you want to share? Please e-mail us at beautifullengthswigs@devries-pr.com
Good news – You can! Hair can be donated if it is 5 percent gray (or less)!
But here’s why you can’t donate your hair if it is more than 5% gray:
In appreciation of the sacrifice that a hair donation requires, we only accept hair that we know can be used to create a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig.
Want to find out other ways to get involved in the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program? Please e-mail beautifullengthswigs@devries-pr.com
When Danielle Mills from Atlanta, GA got engaged, she started growing out her hair for the big day on June 12, 2011. She realized how lucky she was to be able to grow her hair long, and planned to cut it after the wedding and give it to those who weren’t as lucky.
Growing up, Danielle lost her aunt, her grandmother and a friend to cancer. She never got to meet her grandfather, who also died of cancer before she was born.
She decided to use this hair cut as a way to try and raise funds for the American Cancer Society (to find out more about her fundraising efforts, visit her site here). On Thanksgiving, Danielle cut off 12 inches of hair. She is looking forward to growing it out, so that she can make the cut again!
If you are interested in donating your locks to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, but don’t quite have the inches for it, you’re in luck! We have the top ten ways to grow your hair longer and healthier!
1. First and foremost, don’t abuse your hair
Harsh chemical treatments and hot styling tools can cause damage in any hair type. Most commonly, hair is burned and will break more easily, causing the growth process to slow. If you absolutely must use heat use heat protection like Pantene’s Heat Protection and Shine sprays.
2. Trim your ends regularly
Regular trims will help prevent split ends and breakage. If your hair is damaged at the ends, it is likely that it will cause your hair to break and become uneven. Have split ends now? Try the Pantene Pro-V Split End Repair Crème to bind your ends and protect your hair until your next trim!
3. You are what you eat
It is as important to put healthy ingredients into your body as it is to put nourishing treatments on your hair. If you maintain a healthy diet, your hair will appreciate it and look and feel better.
4. Shampooing 101
Wash your hair with a shampoo that nurtures your hair. A harsh shampoo can cause dryness and lead to breakage. Try Pantene Pro-V Medium-Thick Breakage to Strength shampoo and conditioner. Customized for Medium-Thick hair, the unique shampoo and conditioning formula cleanses hair and leaves it strong against damage, while providing healthy looking shine!
5. Don’t be like Marcia Brady
Brushing your hair 100 times a day will cause breakage. It is important to brush your hair regularly to evenly distribute essential oils, but a few gentle strokes each day will do the trick!
6. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
If you don’t deep condition your hair on a regular basis, it may break and cause the hair to become finer. Try the Pantene Pro-V Restore Beautiful Lengths Replenishing Mask to quench parched hair, leaving it feeling smooth and silky.
7. Apply conditioner from crown to roots
Fix the problem of damaged ends before they start by applying conditioner from the roots of your hair through to the ends.
8. If you must use heat…
Blow dry your hair with ceramic round brushes and hold the head of the dryer at least six inches from your hair to reduce potential damage.
9. Wet hair is fragile hair
Wet hair is extremely fragile. Any pulling, combing or brushing can cause stretching or breakage. Never brush wet hair—use a wide-tooth comb or pick to separate tangles before styling.
10. We love your ponytails!
…So don’t tie them too tight! If you pull your hair back too tightly, it will cause the hair to break.
I am so honored to have been chosen to be Pantene’s Hero of the Month!
As we approach this year’s holiday season, it’s easy to remember to buy a gift for someone on your Christmas list — but sometimes it is harder to step outside of the box and volunteer your time for a local charity or a cause that inspires you. I recently worked for a radio station in Western Massachusetts, Live 95.9, WBEC-FM, as a morning show radio personality. We were asked to be the media sponsors of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Berkshire County this past October. I felt inspired and that, as a radio station, we could do more. I decided to put together a “Hair Raiser” where a handful of local salons would accept donations for Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
While considering organizations to partner with, the Beautiful Lengths program was an easy choice. I felt inspired by their desire to help women by creating these wigs. I am proud to say our “Hair Raiser” was a success! We have had over 40 donations of hair from about 15 salons! My hope is this becomes an annual event that will get bigger every year!
Cancer has touched every one of us on some level, and with that in mind, I decided to cut my own hair during the “Hair Raiser”. As the time for the appointment approached, I began to feel nervous, like I was going to be losing something. That got me thinking… If I was willingly donating my hair and felt nervous about it, how would I feel if I had cancer and had no control over my hair loss? Giving my hair to Beautiful Lengths at that moment became even more important. In life, we do not give to get something out of it ourselves, but to give to someone else who needs it more. I hope my hair will help someone at time that they need it the most. And that is the true spirit of giving.
Thank you Pantene for inspiring me!
~ Megan Carlotta, Pantene Beautiful Lengths Hero of the Month
Do YOU want to nominate someone to be our Pantene Beautiful Lengths Hero of the Month? It can be a friend, family member, stylist or you can even nominate an entire salon! Send all nominations to: BeautifulLengthsWigs@devries-pr.com.
Eight year old Kailani loved her long, brown hair. She always smiled when people complimented her and called her Rapunzel or Pocahontas. However, when a 15-year old leukemia survivor spoke at her church, Kailani was brought to tears when she saw a video showing how the young girl had lost her hair due to chemotherapy treatment. It was then that Kailani realized that she could use her hair to do something really great.
Kailani’s mother told her about Pantene Beautiful Lengths and how it was program that provided real-hair wigs to people undergoing cancer treatment. Kailani immediately knew that this was the program for her. At first, her parents were sad to see their little girl cut off her long, beautiful hair – but they soon realized that their daughter was doing something wonderful for people who are quite sick.
Kailani’s mother took her to their local salon to donate 12-inches of hair. But when Kailani got to the salon she decided she wanted to give more! Kailani thought that perhaps Pantene Beautiful Lengths could make two wigs with her hair. In the end, Kailani donated 17 inches of her gorgeous hair.
Thank you for your beautiful story and incredible donation, Kailani!
Do you have a story to share? Please send all of your stories to: BeautifulLengthsWigs@devries-pr.com.
Can’t wait to hear from you!
~Clare, The Pantene Team
