Several Western students and teachers recently cut their hair to support cancer survivors and cancer awareness at the “Wigs for Warriors” event.

On October 5, over 30 students gathered in the auxiliary gym to cut off eight inches of hair to donate to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign, which has partnered with the American Cancer Society to provide free and reduced-cost wigs to cancer patients.

Several Western students and teachers recently cut their hair to support cancer survivors and cancer awareness at the “Wigs for Warriors” event.

On October 5, over 30 students gathered in the auxiliary gym to cut off eight inches of hair to donate to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign, which has partnered with the American Cancer Society to provide free and reduced-cost wigs to cancer patients.

Students and teachers sat in a circle of chairs with pink balloons and inspirational quotes while friends and family cut their hair. Participants also took before and after pictures, and went to Face Value Salon & Studio in Old Trail for free touchups and styling after the initial cuts.

The hair was packaged and sent off to Pantene.

Senior organizers Cara O’Connor and Clare Paxton were impressed by the participation and enthusiasm for the event, which attracted dozens of volunteers and spectators, as well as local media attention.

“I went to an event at another school and it was just so inspiring and amazing, and I was like ‘this is something so easy that we can do, that can so easily be taken to Western,’” O’Connor said.

“I’m really happy…. I was not expecting this big of a turnout, and I was so nervous about all of the logistics and how it was going to go because we’ve never done anything like this before,” she continued.

Paxton was inspired to co-organize the event after working at Martha Jefferson Hospital cancer wing over the summer.

“Most of the women that came into [the center] didn’t have hair, so they would talk about the wigs, and what a difference it made, and how they got them and felt beautiful,” Paxton said.

Breast cancer survivor and WAHS alum Elizabeth Andrews spoke at the event and emphasized the importance of Wigs for Warriors in creating conversation and awareness about cancer.

“What you’re doing empowers survivors,” she told the audience.