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Youngsters Shed Their Locks Out Of Love

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

yhammett@tampatrib.com

Published: December 3, 2008

RIVERVIEW - The last time Abigail Pumphrey got a haircut, it was self-inflicted. She was 2. And while she was at it, she nearly scalped her younger sister, Alison, her mom, Melody, recalls.

This time, a professional took over the scissors, first placing 8-year-old Abigail's hair in a pony tail, then snipping it off.

Her pony tail and about a dozen others will make their way to Locks of Love, a nonprofit group that makes wigs for people who have lost their hair as a result of disease or medical treatment.

The big trim took place Nov. 25 at Kids Community College Charter School, where hundreds of youngsters watched as the brave relinquishing 10 inches of hair or more.

"I wanted to help those with cancer," said 10-year-old Tatiana Caballero, who took the biggest cut of all. "I feel bad for them that they lost their hair."

Tatiana and her friend, Jacquelyn Deaton, 9, came up with the scheme.

Jacquelyn's mom, Melody, has a friend, Lisa Milne, who has breast cancer and wears a wig. She also found some incentive watching television.

"I was watching TV one day and I saw a show with a pig in it, then I saw something about making wigs," Jacquelyn recalled. "I took a note pad and started writing down ideas."

And a fundraiser was born.

In addition to the haircuts, the school held a Kiss a Pig contest and a Dress Down day, raising $300 to send to Locks of Love. The students raised enough to save their teachers from having to kiss the pig but didn't spare the Committee for Academic Excellence.

Each board member leaned down and gave Honeybell, a white pig, a big smacker.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 865-1566. For more photos, go to southshore.TBO.com and search for "Charter School Locks of Love."

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