Published: August 7, 2020
LANSING, MI – Been waiting awhile to cut your hair during the pandemic? Wait a little longer and help a young cancer patient feel better about themselves.
The 6thAnnual Sparrow Children’s Center Hair-a-Thon won’t be held until Sept. 12 but we’re asking those interested to keep their locks flowing until then so they can donate the preferred eight inches or more of hair.
The Hair-a-Thon, which coincides with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, is traditionally a fun, feel-good event that collects hundreds of hair donations that make up wigs for kids who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment or other causes. This year’s donations will go to two organizations, Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan and Children with Hair Loss. Both provide free wigs to children.
Because of the need for social distancing, the 2020 Hair-a-Thon will look a little different than the past in which dozens of people gathered in the lobby of the Sparrow Plaza Building and Sparrow Hospital to have their hair cut by volunteer stylists.
This year, donors can arrange to have their hair cut by their own stylist, place the dry hair in a plastic bag, then drop it off to volunteers stationed in front of the Sparrow Plaza Building, 1140 E. Michigan Ave., across from Sparrow Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 12. There will be no need for donors to even exit their cars; volunteers wearing personal protective equipment will collect donations directly at the vehicles from 9 a.m. to noon.
“There’s a lot of satisfaction in doing this event. It’s my favorite day of the year,” said organizer Cindy Meteyer, Sparrow Pediatric Oncology Nurse Practitioner. “By doing this we’re showing support for our own pediatric oncology patients who are being treated at Sparrow. They know that we care about them. They know that the community supports them.”
For details, go to Sparrow.org/HairAThon.
###
Sparrow Health System is Mid-Michigan’s premier healthcare organization and includes hospitals in Lansing, Carson City, Charlotte, Ionia and St. Johns, as well as Sparrow Specialty Hospital, Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group and the Michigan Athletic Club. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan Medicine through the Sparrow Children’s Center and with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.