Schools

Seneca Middle School Student Continues Commitment to Locks of Love

Donates hair to help sick children in North America.

Katherine Reilly only likes to get her hair cut every so often. That's not unusual for many young ladies, but she has a specific reason.

"Sometimes I'll trim the ends," explains the seventh grader, who attends Seneca Middle School in the Sachem Central School District, "but I wait two years so that it won't go to waste."

Katherine has made four donations to Locks of Love over the past eight years. She helped the public non-profit organization to provide hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in North America who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis, according to a statement.

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She donated her hair to the cause for the first time when she was in first grade, followed by subsequent donations in third, fifth, and now seventh grades, the district's public relations firm said.

"I'll cut it again in ninth grade," she said. "They need nine inches for each donation, but I usually end up giving about twelve."

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The junior varsity ice hockey player won't miss the long ponytail hanging out of her helmet because, she says with a smile, "It's just hair; but to the kids that get it, it's so much more."

Katherine was motivated to donate to "Locks of Love" after watching a television program about children who have leukemia and other types of cancer.


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