HIGH POINT, N.C., May 1, 2012 – Seventeen students at High Point University recently shed their long locks for a good cause as part of the second “Cuts for Cancer” event on campus. The program, funded through the HPU sophomore class, made it possible for participants to each donate 8 inches of hair that goes directly to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which makes real hair wigs for cancer patients who can’t afford them.
The coordinator of the event, Emily Dunn, a sophomore at HPU, says she is always surprised with students’ willingness to donate.
“Donating your hair is not like donating $20 – or any amount for that matter,” Dunn says. “It truly is a priceless gift. … For cancer patients who go through chemotherapy and lose their hair, they experience something that many of us are fortunate to never have to go through. People need to understand that hair grows back, and donating your hair to someone is the greatest, most selfless gift.”
Still, she says, donating your hair can be emotional. “When you hear those scissors slicing through your hair and after that first ponytail is cut off, your head becomes lighter and you understand at that moment that you are making a difference that literally can be seen,” she adds.
Dunn, who began the event on campus last year, says she was first involved in Cuts for Cancer back in her hometown of Londonberry, N.H., where Steve Juster, Londonderry High School teacher, started this event with Pantene in 2006 for the community.
“Having brought this from my hometown, to HPU and seeing it thrive – it’s priceless,” Dunn says. “We are truly fighting cancer the best way we know how and spreading joy.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]