Saturday, May 7, 2011

Once a year during March the school hosts a Locks of Love program. Many of the girls that attend the school grow their hair out all year for the event. The program is put on by Heidi Treibel who teaches at Jim Elliot Christian School in Denver. Heidi brought a small team of 5 adults and 15 students for a week this year. The following had their hair cut: 9 kids (ages 5 to 10), 1 mom from the neighborhood, 1 teenager from the visiting team, and Maria Garcia, the co-director. 6 students tried to grow their hair out but didn't make it.
This program draws the attention of the local media, including Televisia - Channel 2, Channel 44, and Televisia Azteca.

Locks of Love collects hair for low-income kids with cancer. Hair needs to be longer than 10 inches to be cut. Once cut, the hair is boxed up and shipped to Florida.

The school's program got started 6 years ago after Heidi had been teaching at the school for one year. After she started the tradition, it has continued every year (and sometimes twice a year). Originally only Heidi did it, but then one of the students wanted to do it, then that student's aunt, then other kids followed.

Tidbits:



  • Often the girls cry when they don't get to cut their hair because it's too short.


  • The Jim Elliot Christian School has a buddy program with Colegio Ganley in which kids have buddies between the schools. They send one another notes throughout the year.