Second-grader cuts hair for Relay challenge

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Deer Meadow second grader Ivy Wright holds a braid of her hair cut by Dee Bumgardner for Locks of Love. Wright cut her hair as part of a challenge to other students at Deer Meadow to raise $400 for Relay for Life. Students raised $550.

Ivy Wright is a beautiful, blonde-haired second-grader who understands how to give with her heart.

She recently had her long tresses cut in order to donate them to Locks of Love.

She challenged her schoolmates to increase their goal of raising $200 for Relay for Life to $400. If they raised that amount, she said she would cut her long hair and donate it to Locks of Love, a charitable orgnization that makes wigs for kids going through cancer treatment.

On Friday morning, Dee Bumgardner from the Styling Salon came to Deer Meadow and cut Wright's hair in front of a cheering crowd of students.

Wright lost one of her grandfathers two years ago to cancer. Her mother's dad died 10 years ago from the disease.

"She never got to meet my dad," said Ivy's mom, Missy Wright. "She saw something on television about Locks of Love and we knew someone who had donated."

"I've been growing it for a long time and just decided to cut it and this was a good idea," said Ivy.

As students filed past her into the cafeteria to watch the haircutting event you could hear words of encouragement.

"We're ready. We're really excited for you," said one teacher.

Ivy's second grade classmates from Stacey Allen's class applauded the young girls efforts.

After Ivy's hair was cut, principal Gwen Morris announced the class winners of the school's Penny Wars.

Melissa Ames' kindergarten class raised $90.59. Elena Wilson's first graders gathered $78.55 and Stacy Allen's (and Ivy's class) raised $94.92.

"We thought about how many people we all know who fight this battle," Morris said. "Ivy challenged us to raise $400 and we did that. We even did better than that. We raised $550."

Students were treated to ice cream as a reward for their participation in the annual Putnam County Relay for Life fundraiser.

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Bumgardner said she cuts hair a couple of times a year for someone making a donation to the organization.

For information about Locks of Love go to www.locksoflove.org.

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  • Congratulations Deer Meadow. What an encouraging act of love and kindness that you are portraying for others.

    -- Posted by smltwngal on Mon, Apr 20, 2009, at 1:12 PM
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