Spreading Holiday Cheer, One Ponytail at a Time

Changing the lives of other kids isn’t generally on the curriculum, but that’s exactly what students from Vancouver’s Killarney Secondary did during Cutting Edge, an entirely student-led hair donation drive, on December 1st, 2009

What did the participants think of going short? "I was kind of nervous to be cutting my hair," said Zoë Thompson, a grade nine participant. “Donating it is something I have been wanting to do for a while, though, as I feel it is important to help others around us."

Over 50 participants from Killarney Secondary and Waverly Elementary schools donated their hair to make wigs and hairpieces for financially disadvantaged kids who have lost their hair due to medical conditions such as alopecia and during chemotherapy. The monetary donations collected supported the BC Cancer Foundation. In return, the participants enjoyed a professional haircut and styling session complimentary of the London School of Hairdressing and Aesthetics. Some males also received head shaves in support of their female peers.

Even the vice-principal got involved, cutting off his ponytail and going bald in front of hundreds of cheering students and staff while being interviewed by CBC.

“This experience has been absolutely wonderful and I can’t thank our participants enough,” says Kalina Xiao, grade 12 student from Killarney Secondary and co-organizer of Cutting Edge. “Putting this together was definitely hard work and it took a lot of planning, but I know it’s all worth it because it benefits so many people in need.”