ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / April 11, 2000

METAIRIE – When it comes to sacrifices for Lent, most people give up eating meat, or chocolate, or smoking cigarettes. The members of the St.Peter’s Church Youth Group have come up with something new to give up for Lent.

Hair.

On Sunday, several girls and women from St. John Parish sat down at theMilan Hair Salon in Metairie and let stylists cut off their long locks for a worthy cause.

Locks of Love is a national organization out of Florida that collects hair from stylists all over the country and then makes wigs with the hair for child cancer victims that have lost their hair due to chemotherapy.

Rhonda Boe, one of the Youth Directors at St. Peter’s Church, said she gotthe idea from watching a story on television about Locks of Love.

“I asked the kids if they would give up their hair for Lent to help these children,” said Boe, “and they all said yes.”Leslie Boudreaux, owner of Milan Hair Salon, is also the coordinator for the Locks of Love drive in the metro area of New Orleans. There are 12salons in the area. Not only are they looking for hair, but Boudreaux ishoping to raise over $10,000 in contributions.

“This is my way of giving back,” said Boudreaux, “and giving thanks for having healthy kids of my own.”Boudreaux is amazed at the response in the area. Since she has startedthis campaign, people have been calling her all the time.

“It was kind of a snowball effect, ” Boudreaux marveled. “I’ve even hadelderly ladies call me up and donate the hair of their mothers that they have been keeping all these years.”Most of the women donating hair were happy to do it.

“My hair grows fast,” said 17-year-old Mindy Martin from LaPlace. “It’s notthat traumatic for me. Anyway, someone else needs it more than I do.”Cari Farimelle, also of LaPlace, had 11 inches of her blond hair taken off.

At first she looked scared as the stylist began snipping, but as he gave her a new hair style, Cari’s mood relaxed.

“These little girls need my hair more than I do,” Cari said. “I’m blessed tohave nice hair, and I don’t mind sharing it.”Then there were the volunteers like Riverside student, Amy Hymel. The17-year-old was getting 15 inches of her red hair cut off, and as the scissors began to cut, tears came to her eyes.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this,” Hymel wailed.

But after getting a very sophisticated-looking short hair style that made her look a little bit older, she looked in the mirror and shrugged.

“Well, that isn’t too bad,” she murmured.

Lisa Dule of LaPlace was also sacrificing 15 inches of tresses and she was happy with the results because it made her look much younger.

“Anyway, ” Dule said with a shrug, “It’s a lot easier. It’s not like givingblood. When I see the pictures of those poor kids, and knowing I am givingthem happiness, well that is all I need.”Other girls had other motives for cutting their hair. Nine-year-old AshleyConran of LaPlace has wanted to cut her hair for a long time, but her mother wouldn’t let her do it. So Ashley’s aunt, Michelle Bothner,convinced Ashley’s mom to donate her hair to charity. Ashley is veryhappy to get her hair cut, but her mother couldn’t bear to watch, so Bothner brought Ashley in to do the deed.

Boudreaux was very happy with the results at the end of the day.

Milan Salon collected 27 feet and 9 inches of hair when it was all over.

“Nine yards of hair can make a lot of wigs,” said an enthusiastic Boudreaux.

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