Strength in lengths

story by Libby Hyde, video by Lauren Langdon, photos by Maria Donnelly, Lindsey Valdiviez and Hannah Bredar

Students’ shouts and cheers echo off the walls of the Goppert Center, and screams are heard as locks of hair fall to the gym floor. Girls look in their reflections and exclaim at how different they look with more than eight inches less hair.

Finishing out STA Mission Week on Jan. 31, 127 STA students volunteered to donate their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organization dedicated to not only making wigs for women struggling with cancer, but also “helping them feel beautiful again.”

There were common feelings of nervousness and excitement among the girls who gave their hair, after learning last semester that the school would be donating hair in honor of principal of student affairs Mary Anne Hoecker and freshman Maddie Winfield, two members of the STA community currently battling cancer.

“It’s been in the back of my mind for a while,” junior Marie Sarson said. “I don’t want to give up my hair, but somebody else needs it more than me… Somebody can have my hair. It will bring them more happiness than me.”

As Hoecker stepped up the the podium with a bright smile on her face, students immediately began to clap and cheer. Students showed their support as she gave her testimony of her own ongoing battle with breast cancer.

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“It is traumatic when a woman loses her hair,” Hoecker said. “I remember the exact day. Once you lose your hair, there’s isn’t much to hold onto. Giving your hair will help so many women.”

Winfield, who is currently receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, spoke of the assembly, which STA president Nan Bone described as an “unbelievable gift of love.”

“Everyone has come together to support me, and this is just really overwhelming,” Winfield said. “This community is so amazing!”

As a part of STA’s second annual Mission Week, organized by English and speech teacher Kate Absher, students payed to participate in different activities throughout the week with proceeds going to the Erin Andra Wilson Foundation.

Junior Gracie Fleming closes her eyes and holds other student's hands as teacher Kate Absher cuts her hair. Right before the students hair was cut many of them held hands preparing for the loss of their hair. photo by Maria Donnelly — Junior Gracie Fleming closes her eyes and holds other student’s hands as teacher Kate Absher cuts her hair. Right before the students hair was cut many of them held hands preparing for the loss of their hair. photo by Maria Donnelly

The Erin Andra Wilson Foundation was founded in 2003 in an effort to help families with the financial burden of having children with cancer and other blood-related diseases. After losing a daughter to leukemia, this STA family and foundation has provided assistance for over 650 local families.

During the Pantene Beautiful Lengths ceremony, former STA mom and founder of the Erin Andra Wilson Foundation, Kristy Wilson, spoke about the amazing gift of one’s own hair. Wilson’s oldest daughter attended STA and she lost her younger daughter to leukemia.

“I am especially proud of all you young ladies who literally gave of yourselves today,” Wilson said.

The sense of community was unmistakable as friends and classmates donated their hair. Girls held hands across rows of chairs as the scissors snipped away inches of their locks. With the minimum amount of hair being eight inches, some donated as much as 22 inches.

Along with parents and teachers documenting the day with phones and video recorders, the event received news coverage from the greater Kansas City community as well, including segments and stories on Fox4News, the Kansas City Star, and KMBC.

Winfield and fellow freshman Mackenzie O’Guin were featured on Fox4News to share Winfield’s experience with cancer and chemotherapy.

According to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, it takes about eight to 15 ponytails to make a single wig. Senior Natalie Kilgore marveled that STA was able to make between eight and 15 wigs.

“I’ve known a good number of people to get wigs,” Kilgore said. “Yeah, my hair is going to be short, but someone is going to have a wig that my hair is made of.”

Junior Gracie Fleming, a member of the Beautiful Lengths assembly committee, was crying after donating her hair. She was overwhelmed to see the amount of support the STA community was able to give. According to Fleming, Pantene Beautiful Lengths has made over 24,000 wigs for women so far.

“Every woman has the right to a bad hair day,” Fleming said. “And every woman deserves to feel beautiful.”