For the third year in a row, a Saanich salon is raising money – and hair – for children who need it.
On Monday, Feb. 29, Lizzy Lee & Me in Shelbourne Plaza is hosting its third annual Wigs for Kids Cut-a-Thon, a charity haircutting event to support children who have lost their hair and would benefit from a wig. All of the proceeds are donated to Wigs for Kids, a non-profit organization that designs wigs from natural hair for children suffering from hair loss.
The cause is near and dear to Lisette Scabar, owner of Lizzy Lee & Me and a cancer survivor two times over.
“The first time I was diagnosed, I was age 20 and living abroad,” she said. “I returned home to reside with my mother while undergoing intensive chemotherapy and radiation. In just a few weeks I lost my hair.”
“My mom took a leave of absence from work to look after me, (and) as a single mother of three kids, things were tight. I remember it was a real struggle to come up with the $800 that was needed if I was going to purchase a wig, and this was the subsidized rate.”
The cut-a-thon started three years ago, when friends of a local 10-year-old girl with a brain tumour came to Lizzy Lee & Me to get their hair cut and made into a wig for their friend.
“I knew we had to support her friends who had all decided to cut off and donate their hair to Wigs for Kids in her honour,” said Scabar. “Lizzy Lee provided the space and haircuts.”
The salon is inviting anyone and everyone to get their hair cut on Monday to support Wigs for Kids. Hair for donation must make a ponytail nine inches or longer, and must be natural hair (never coloured or permed). Hair donations are by appointment and include a wash and restyle with a keepsake photo.
Ponytails snipped at the cut-a-thon will be used to construct custom-fitted wigs for patients of B.C. Children’s Hospital and Wigs for Kids. It takes approximately 15 to 20 ponytails to create one wig.
A custom wig can cost $1,800 or higher, but Wigs For Kids, along with Eva and Co. Wigs in Vancouver, supplies children in need with a wig at their cost of $800.
Adult haircuts are priced at $40 while children 14 and under are $30. Head shavings and regular haircuts are $20.
The cut-a-thon runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Lizzy Lee & Me, located in Shelbourne Plaza at 3655 Shelbourne St. To book an appointment for a hair donation or a regular haircut, call 250-590-5568 or email info@lizzyleeandme.com.
Lizzy Lee & Me also has a Facebook page for the event and are encouraging residents to share it with others and invite their friends. To view the event page, go to Facebook and search “Wigs for Kids Cut-a-Thon.”
For more details on Wigs for Kids, visit wigsforkidsbc.com.
jacob.zinn@saanichnews.com