Andrea Revell calls them her pink angels: the 28 students, staff and parents at La Costa Meadows (LCM) Elementary who decided to donate their hair to Locks of Love. The non-profit organization makes wigs for children battling cancer Hair was cut during a school assembly on October 12.
“It’s just awesome that they are doing this,” said Revell, a kindergarten teacher at LCM who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. “I had mammograms every year like I was supposed to. Nothing came up until 2009.”
Revell’s original pink angel is Renee Mone, a second grade teacher at the school who jumped into action right after the diagnosis.
“Mrs. Revell is one of my very best friends,” said Mone. “I took her to chemotherapy and really started to see how a simple wig can make such a difference when someone is fighting cancer.”
So Mone decided to organize a Locks of Love event at LCM. She and her three daughters all donated their hair. Hundreds of people dressed in pink applauded as pony tails and braids were cut off. Revell and others who have either fought cancer or had a loved one afflicted, had the honor of doing the cutting.
The school’s office manager, Ana Ruiz, chopped off Mone’s hair. Ruiz was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
“This is just so amazing, to see all of these students and the staff being so generous,” said Ruiz.
After the cutting ceremony, five stylists gave the donors free hair cuts in the school cafeteria.
“Your beautiful hair can make such a difference,” said Mone. “It’s just hair to us but it’s a simple gift that can make someone else smile.”
