Local residents with a bounty of long hair can help children suffering from medical hair loss by participating in an event sponsored by Bon Appetit Management Co., Finishing Touch Salon of Angola, and Tri-State University’s Office of Student Life in TSU’s Whitney Commons, University Center, on Monday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Long-tressed people can receive a free haircut and curl from Finishing Touch while donating locks of hair 10 inches or longer to Locks of Love. The non-profit organization utilizes the hair to create hairpieces for financially disadvantaged children with hair loss due to a variety of medical conditions.

Locks of Love formed in 1997 to provide the free hair prostheses to help some of the estimated 2 million children throughout the U. S. suffering hair loss from disease, burns, and radiation treatment due to cancer. The hairpieces offer a fit and styles appropriate for children.

Donors’ hair should be clean, dry, and bleach-free. Hair to which color or permanents have been applied are acceptable. Donations of hair accessories and money will also be accepted. Sign-up sheets are available at the checker’s stand in Whitney Commons.

Deby Pranger, catering coordinator for Bon Appetit, said her company pledges to support the communities it serves. “We’re all about community,” she said. “With our Farm to Fork program, we buy products locally for our students. We are a part of the community, and that’s what Locks of Love is all about.” She hopes to build on the great turnout from last year’s inaugural event.