Pima Butte girls show they care — by cutting their hair

“Show you care. Cut your hair,” proclaimed the poster on the wall at Pima Butte Elementary School. Thirteen girls did just that on Wednesday. Each got at least 10 inches of hair cut off to send to the non-profit charity, Locks of Love.

Locks of Love began in 1998 and has since helped over 2,000 children, both boys and girls, in all 50 states and Canada. The organization provides free hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 and younger; families who are able to pay a small amount are charged on a sliding scale based on income.

Recipients are children who have suffered severe scalp burns or endured radiation treatments for cancer; however, the majority of recipients suffer from an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cure. While cancer patients can regrow their hair, alopecia areata victims cannot ever do so.

Posters like this one lined the halls of Pima Butte Elementary School to advertise the Locks of Love hair-cutting event.

First grade teacher Kelly Hiers proved a great role model for Pima Butte students; she had her long hair cut even though her wedding is coming up in October.

The idea to be Locks of Love donors came from the Character Counts Committee, Pima Butte teachers Jamie Hale, Tabri Hicks, Kelly Hiers, Nicole LaRochelle and Denise Palmer. Each month a different character trait is celebrated at Pima Butte. The trait for February was caring.

“Several girls are giving up their beautiful hair to help those who don’t have any. They are doing this to show the character virtue of caring. I am very proud of them, and I think they have learned one of life’s most important lessons – ’tis better to give than receive,” explained Principal Janelle Lowey, describing the event.

Each girl must have at least 10 inches of hair to donate. The hair is put into a ponytail, then cut. The severed hair is placed in a plastic bag and mailed in a padded envelope to Locks of Love.

Sisters Reina (left) and Cynthia Yap show off their long hair, bound and ready to be cut.

A bit nervous but lined up and ready for their hair to be cut are (from left)
Tyla Miller Brown, Mariah Madrid, Rosamia Fonscea, Reina Yap and Cynthia Yap.

Two sisters, 10-year-old Reina, a fourth grader, and 11-year-old Cynthia Yap discussed their reasons for contributing to Locks of Love. (Cynthia, a sixth grader at Maricopa Wells Middle School, was the only student not from Pima Butte.)

“I was tired of my long hair, and I heard about this at my sister’s school,” said Cynthia. “I’m applying for National Junior Honor Society, and I thought it would be good to have on my application,” she added.

Reina asked her mom about cutting her hair. What did her mom say? She said, “It’s gonna be short,” explained Reina, adding that mom left the decision up to her.

The thirteen Locks of Love donors were recognized in front of their peers at Pima Butte Elementary School on Wednesday.

Pima Butte students looked on in awe as each girl’s hair was quickly and neatly severed at the ponytail band.

The girls display their shorn locks to their classmates. Each girl was given a plastic bag to place the hair in for mailing to Locks of Love.

Proud of their commitment to caring and happy the cutting was over, Cynthia Yap (left), Mariah Madrid and Reina Yap are all smiles as they display the bags holding their shorn hair.

The 13 Locks of Love donors were first graders Rosamia Fonscea, Kayla Morales, Lauryn Nesbihal and Destini Rexinger. Second grader Hailey Boyce donated her hair, as did third graders Tyla Miller Brown, Marcela Delgado, Mariah Madrid and Emily Pasbrig. Two fourth graders, Talyn Stevens and Reina Yap, fifth grader Miranda Chavez and Maricopa Wells sixth grader Cynthia Yap were also donors.

Two girls Anicia Ducharme and Madison Allen were all ready to get their hair cut, but it wasn’t quite long enough this time. Earlier this year, Kyra and Keely Catron, Aubrey Chaston, Tiffani Galvan, Aubrey Glynn, Anjleeka Mares and Sarah Martinez donated their hair to Locks of Love.

The actual hair cutting was done in front of the entire Pima Butte student body. A newly shorn Mariah Madrid was asked how she felt about the event. “Really good,” she grinned.