Gail Hepinstall received a hair cut for a great cause last week.
The Clarkston resident had 22 inches of her hair cut off for the Locks of Love program. The program provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 with medical hair loss.
“It really is a great cause. They do a lot of good work,” Hepinstall said. “It is so expensive to buy a wig.”
Hepinstall learned about the organization through her job at the Oakland County Sportsmen Club.
“A few people there are cancer survivors and some of my customers had lost battles with cancer. I heard about the program and thought to myself that I have a lot to give,” Hepinstall said. “We do a lot of charity work at the Sportsmen Club.”
Hepinstall has spent most of her life with long hair after telling her mother “no more haircuts,” while in junior high. She cut it shoulder length six years ago before immediately allowing it to grow back.
However, this time she is planning on keeping the new style for awhile.
“I absolutely love it. It takes some getting used to because I still try to flip it now and then, but I have been receiving a lot of compliments,” Hepinstall said.
She received her haircut from Randolf’s Salon and sent the hair down to the organization in Florida.
Locks of Love has helped more than 1,000 children since it began in 1997. Donated hair must be at least 10 inches in length, bundled in a ponytail or braid, free of hair damage by chemical processing and be clean and dry.
Anyone interested in donating hair or learning more about the organization can visit www.locksoflove.org.