 "Photo: Illustration by Coleen Walizer")
 "Photo: Briana Bramm")
 "Photo: Briana Bramm")
 "Photo: Brianna Bramm")
 "Photo: Brianna Bramm")
 "Photo: Brianna Bramm")
NEWS
During Expressions of Peace Week at FAU, 23 students left campus with less hair than they had when they came.
Students were given the opportunity to donate their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which makes free wigs for women who have lost their hair to cancer.
This year FAU collectively donated 441 inches of hair.
“Anyone can go to a salon and cut their hair, but bringing it on campus can help motivate compassion. Compassion is a pillar of world peace,” said sophomore nursing major Mariana Ortigosa, referring to the title of the lecture the Dalai Lama gave at FAU.
Ortigosa is also the director of Students Advocating Volunteer Involvement (SAVI).
“Last year we had a student, Leo Calle, who said he wanted to put on this event because he had had a disease as a child,” explained Ortigosa.
That disease was alopecia areata, commonly known as medical hair loss, which is an autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair all over the body.
“I had it when I was 19, and my mom had it when she was having my older sister, and, you know, you turn around and start realizing what’s important in life,” said Calle, a senior ecology major.
Calle presented his idea to SAVI, and they ran with it.
“That’s what the idea was last year: It was to put on display people getting their hair cut in public,” he said.
Last year SAVI partnered with Locks of Love for the event, which requires 12 inches of hair for a donation. This year they switched to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which requires eight inches, in hopes of gaining more donors.
While Locks of Love makes wigs for underprivileged children who suffer from medical hair loss diseases, Pantene Beautiful Lengths makes wigs specifically for women who have lost their hair due to cancer.
This year the event was even bigger than last, growing from 15 donors to 23.
“I walked in here, and I was, like, in shock; Mariana [Ortigosa] took it to the next level. Last year it was outdoors, and it was in tents; any breeze would blow into people’s faces,” Calle said. “It was organized, but it was kind of hectic. It’s so well-put-together this year. [Mariana] took it to the next level, and it was awesome.”
The 23 donors who came out were more than willing to give their hair for a greater cause.
“I think some people need it, and my hair can grow back,” said junior psychobiology major Mercy Barrera.
The support even carried over to some FAU parents.
“I don’t go to FAU, but my daughter Alexzandria May does. She’s one of the event organizers,” explained Diana May.
It wasn’t just girls who came out to the event. Several guys came out to spread the love, including Jorge Ruz-Mora, who grew out his hair specifically to donate it.
“My mom had cancer and survived, so I wanted to do it [donate his hair]. I was going to do it at some other place, but yesterday I got a flier in the Breezeway, and I’m, like, ‘OK, I’ll do it,’” he said.
This event also hit home with Megan Hamerdinger, an FAU Weppner Center for Civic Involvement employee and leukemia survivor. The Weppner Center is an FAU organization that helps students get involved in community service projects.
“I’ve donated my 12 inches of hair twice. It’s growing out right now,” said Hamerdinger.
Hamerdinger was one of 20 volunteers and staffers who came out to make sure the event ran smoothly, along with six professional hair stylists from Hot Head Salon, located in Boynton Beach’s Town Center.
Expressions of Peace Week was created by the Peace Studies Program in honor of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the Boca campus. All the events from Feb. 18 to 24 embody the ideals of the Dalai Lama and the Buddhist religion in some way.
It was the will of volunteering that made Pantene Beautiful Lengths and Locks of Peace fit perfectly in the theme of the week.
“It was just the whole aspect of giving to people who have less than we do that’s connected to Peace Week. The idea is to help provide for people who are struggling with cancer,” explained Alex Van Mecl, founder and president of FAU’s Mission Green Student Association.
SAVI is looking to continue the event next year.
“As far as this event goes, it’s something we want to keep for next year. We think it’s a great event,” said Mariana Ortigosa.
Tumbleweeds for critical campers
Along with donating hair, participants of Locks of Peace had the opportunity to make tumbleweed necklaces for the campers at Camp Boggy Creek.
Camp Boggy Creek is a camp for children with critical, life-threatening illnesses. The kids are given the opportunity to go to camp for a week free of charge.
Boggy Creek is set up as a camp but includes all the amenities that critically ill children require, such as air-conditioned living quarters and a full hospital.
Participants made the necklaces by winding yarn around their hand, securing it with a long yarn string, and cutting the ends to create a pom-pom-type necklace.
At the beginning of camp, each camper is given his or her own tumbleweed necklace.
When a camper receives an act of kindness from another camper, he or she gives the kind camper a small piece of yarn from his or her tumbleweed.
At the end of camp week, the kids are left not with a pom-pom necklace, but a necklace full of smaller pieces of yarn, signifying all their kind acts at camp.
The Locks of Peace participants together made 140 tumbleweed necklaces to send to the campers this year.
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