Giving the gift of hair to kids

The day before Thanksgiving, Nolan Wigren gave something else, his hair. Wednesday, the 8-year-old boy from the town of Summit donated two 10-inch long ponytails to Locks of Love.

“His hair is so beautiful, shiny and it grows so thick,” said Nolan’s mother, Rachelle Kirk.

When Nolan started growing it out 14 months ago, Kirk told him about Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss, most commonly from cancer or Alopecia, an auto-immune disease.

“He asked: ‘What’s cancer?’” Kirk said. “So I explained in simple terms what it was and how his beautiful blonde thick hair would make a little girl or boy very happy.”

As he sat in the chair at Great Clips in Superior, Nolan said he was doing it “for kids who have cancer.” The 8-year-old attends second grade at Four Corners Elementary School and enjoys playing Minecraft, a computer game.

He said his classmates thought his long hair was cool, but the style was pretty hot during the summer months. And it had gotten to the point where it was time to cut it, Kirk said.

To donate hair to Locks of Love, it must be at least 10 inches long. Nolan had the required length and enough left over for a layered “hockey” cut, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Kirk said she was proud of her son for taking part in Locks of Love.

“It makes them think of somebody else other than themselves,” she said.

Once or twice a month someone will walk into Great Clips to donate their hair to children in need.

“It’s an easy way to help other people,” said Great Clips manager Liz Lowe. Some people stop by the shop every year or so to give their hair to Locks of Love.

“I love it,” Lowe said. “I’m super excited when someone does it.” Even though she herself doesn’t have hair long enough to donate, the Great Clips manager knows she’s helping children by cutting and collecting the donations.

Kirk said she called to make sure Lowe would be working. Not only did the manager turn Nolan’s long locks into a short cut, she also gave his 6-year-old brother, Dylon, a Mohawk cut.

“I like Great Clips,” Kirk said, especially the work Lowe does.

Although people can call ahead to let stylists know they want to donate hair, they don’t have to. And the haircut is free to anyone who donates to Locks of Love.

Great Clips takes walk in customers, Lowe said, with no appointment necessary.

For more information on Locks of Love, go to www.locksoflove.org.

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