More than 250 participants have signed up to be a part of the 2009 Relay For Life in Plano and have raised more than $33,000 to benefit the American Cancer Society.
In further support of patients battling cancer and cancer survivors, Plano-based Survivor Gals Specialty Products and Salon will be sponsoring a ponytail drive at the Relay For Life fields to benefit Locks of Love. On April 24 from 8:30 to 11 a.m., three Survivor Gal hair stylists will be in at the main stage of the event cutting hair for anyone wanting to donate it.
“It’s something very near and dear to our hearts so we had to do it,” said Jennifer Grunwald, Survivor Gals owner. “We want to help cancer patients in any way we can.”
Grunwald said she and the three hair stylists do not have a set goal for how much hair is collected for Locks of Love.
“We want to cut as much as we can. Any amount is better than none,” she said. “We’re trying to use all avenues of communication to encourage a large turnout for that morning.”
Grunwald donated her own hair last year and thinks that hair donation is a simple and uncomplicated way to help cancer patients around the nation.
“It took a really long time for my hair to grow out, but it’s probably something I’d consider doing again,” she said.
After the Relay For Life ponytail drive, Grunwald also hopes to raise awareness by conducting more ponytail drives at and with local schools and community groups throughout the year.
“I hope that they will be receptive of the idea because it’s for such a good cause,” she said.
Survivor Gals Special Products and Salon is also a certified Locks of Love donation facility and will continue to cut and donate hair to Locks of Love year-round.
Survivor Gals opened in January and provides products and services directed toward women battling cancer, such as wigs and mastectomy products. The store includes a full-service hair salon with a stylist who will help clients with wigs as they lose their hair and re-grow hair after chemotherapy treatment sessions. The wigs may be styled and customized to fit the need of the client. Information on the specialty boutique may be found online at www.survivorgals.com
The Survivor Gals pony tail drive is not the only event to take place during the Plano Relay For Life. A bounce house, jump ropes and bean bag toss will be open throughout the event for team members. Participants are also encouraged to partake in each themed hour scheduled during the relay.
Information on the relay’s special events and activities is available online at www.relayforlife.org/planotexas
The Plano Relay For Life festivities will take place April 24-25 at the Alcatel-Lucent Ball Field, 3400 Lotus Drive.
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers community members an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Relays are an overnight event, up to 24 hours in length.
Most Relay For Life events start at dusk and ends the next morning. The light and darkness of the day and night parallel the physical, emotional and mental state of a cancer patient while undergoing treatment. The relay begins when the sun is setting. This symbolizes the time that the person has been diagnosed with cancer. The day is getting darker and this represents the cancer patient’s state of mind as they feel as if their life is coming to an end.
Relay For Life brings together more than 3.5 million people to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost to the disease and to fight back by raising awareness.
For information on the event, visit RelayForLife.org.
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