Thursday, March 6, 2008

Taking It Off For the Children... Again!

For those of you that don't know, on Sunday, April 13th, I will be donating between 10-12 inches of my hair as part of Buzzing for Change.  Buzzing for Change is an annual event held at GW which aims to raise money for children with cancer by getting people to sponsor participants who will either buzz their hair off or donate it to Locks of Love.  I think this is a wonderful cause and it really sparks a feeling of unity and community on the GW campus every spring.  The actual event has free food, t-shirts, and live music from local bands!  It's a lot of fun, whether you just volunteer or end of cutting your hair!

To help raise awareness about the event in general and the fact that I'm donating my hair (again), I've created a website and set up a special PayPal form to collect online donations for those who prefer not to donate via cash or check.  You can visit the website at: http://home.gwu.edu/~ksanto

And, just to really pull at those heart strings, below is the original story I submitted to the Buzzing for Change website about my experience as a donator!

Dr. Waloff or: How I Learned to Stop Crying and Love the Cut

Several of my friends had been involved in the organizing and promoting of Buzzing for Change at GW, and since their event was taking place on a very sunny Sunday in April I decided to stop by and see how they were doing. Little did I know that I would, about a half hour later, be agreeing to donate my hair to Locks of Love. I greeted my friends as I saw them, all sporting the trademark Buzzing for Change gear and happily informing participants where they can go or what forms they need. Then came Kevin… the future Dr. Waloff. He gave me a hug, as friends are want to do, and as we embraced in the middle of Kogan Plaza he felt my hair and noticed how long it was. Although my hair had been much longer my freshman year, in my junior year my hair was still pretty darn long and Kevin mentioned that it would be more than enough to donate if I so chose. I told him I would get back to him on that and went to grab some food and contemplate my options. I could keep my beloved flowing locks for my own selfish purpose, aka: I only know how to do long hair; I could cut off the bare minimum needed to sell my hair, aka: I can wimp out but at least the money will go to a good cause; or I could suck it up and take it like a woman, aka: go the whole nine yards (rather, ten inches) and give the hair away to kids who need it more than I do. I mean, I had an awful lot of hair and I did sometimes get frustrated in the morning when I was forced to conquer the nest atop my head. If I went through with it, I would be doing a good deed for needy children AND solving a major morning dilemma for myself. I was sold. When I went back over to Kogan Plaza I admitted to my friends that I would be going through with the little idea that Kevin planted in my head. They measured my hair and I had about eleven to donate, and off they went… or it… well, both really. The whole process didn’t take very long and I have to admit, my head did feel a bit lighter after everything was said and done. Unfortunately, as dramatic hair cuts go, my hair ended up a little lopsided and I retreated to my friend’s dorm where post-cut triage was done and my hair evened. Although I probably lost another inch in the process, at least I could face the world with some level of pride. That night, however, I cried myself to sleep. I missed my hair. But, I really missed my hair when I went to the hair salon to get a touch up and the stylist, if that really is his job, gave me a 70s style Brady-bob. I was furious and was considering going somewhere else to get some extensions put in… and no, I’m not joking. But the next day was easier, and I found that the “hair style” I was left with wasn’t so hard to de-bob. The next day was even easier, and the next day when I discovered a whole new way to wear my hair short, it became even easier. Now that I think about it, I think my crying over lost hair was a bit silly and selfish. But I know that I made a good decision, and I even got some compliments on the new cut (post-bob, of course). I can’t wait to chop my hair off again. This time I will be better prepared. It’s been two years since I donated my hair during Buzzing for Change, but my hair is not quite the length it needs to be for me to donate it and still have enough leftover for myself. I’m saving my hair for spring 2008—just after my sister’s wedding and just before my graduation from grad school.

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