A typical ballerina often wears her hair in a classic bun. At the Academy of Movement and Performing Arts, five little dancers have sacrificed their buns for charity.
The altruistic trend began about three months ago, when 6-year-old Olivia Koverdan wanted to cut the long, brunette locks that fell halfway down her back. Her mother, Jessica Koverdan, took her to Pur Bliss Salon in Paducah, where the little girl asked for a shoulder-length cut. But Lindsey Owen, her hair stylist, had another idea.
“I really, really wanted to cut it off, and Miss Lindsay, my hair cutter [sic], said if I cut it a little bit shorter, I would be able to donate it,” Olivia says.
The child got excited about that. Lindsey clipped Olivia’s hair to chin-length and donated the cuttings to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, which makes wigs for cancer patients. Olivia’s mom felt proud.
“We try to teach Olivia to be a giving person and try to help the community whenever she can,” Jessica says.
So, when Olivia showed up at dance class with a cute bob, the other students got interested. They wanted help cancer patients just like their friend. Soon, Campbell Brazzell, Addyson Richards, Reese Romine, and Taylor Rousseau chopped off their locks for charity, as well.
Taylor, 7, says she decided to donate her hair “because it’s nice.” Her mom, Lauren Rousseau, says she was surprised that her daughter not only cut eight inches of hair but that she also was eager to do it.
“Usually when we got her hair cut, she would only allow me to cut two inches off—sometimes three,” she says. “So when she decided to cut eight, that was a big jump, and most little girls like to have long hair.”
Now, because her hair is shorter, Taylor can fix it herself—which she loves. Her donation has made her very happy.
As she and her friends show off their new hairstyles, they look beautiful—inside and out.
