This year, Beautiful Lengths, run by Mr. Yasenosky, will take place on May 11 from 12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Beautiful Lengths is an event at the middle school at which students and staff members have the opportunity to donate their hair and/or money to help people with cancer.

The event will be in support of Colbie Jean Wolf, a seven-year-old girl who is currently battling brain cancer. Monetary donations will go to a fund for her, and the theme for this year’s event will be gray and gold, the colors for brain and pediatric cancer awareness.

Colbie’s aunt, Mrs. Marciano, who is the middle school’s Library Media Specialist, stated, “This year’s Beautiful Lengths fundraiser is really, really special to my family being that my niece Colbie is being honored.”

She added, “We are so fortunate and so glad and so appreciative of everything that everybody has done, and we just can’t wait for the day to actually happen. We’re just without words.”

Students who wish to donate their hair will be able to sign up for the event after having a permission slip signed.

To be used, hair must be at least six inches long, though eight or more is prefered. Hair cannot be dyed, chemically treated, or more than five percent gray. The hair donations will be used to make free, real-hair wigs for cancer patients who lost their own hair while going through treatment. Students and staff may also choose to have their heads shaved in a show of support for those with cancer.

During the event, there will be a DJ playing music throughout the afternoon and activities off to the side.

In the weeks before the event, there will be raffle tickets and t-shirts for sale.

Mr. Yasenosky described, “It’s going to be like a party.”

When participants see it is their turn, they will find an empty chair and one of fifteen stylists will tie their hair into ponytails and cut it. The stylists come from the Michael Christopher Salon and are always excited to volunteer their time for the event.

After hair is cut, it is put into baskets. Once the event is over, the hair will be sent to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to be made into wigs.

This year, Mr. Yasenosky expects to have between 175 and 225 participants.

Beautiful Lengths first started in 2010 when Mr. Yasenosky noticed many boys had really long hair. He challenged them to a summative review game with the agreement that, if they won, he would shave the beard he had at the time, but if he won, he could shave their heads. After receiving parent permission, they played the game. Mr. Yasenosky won so he got to shave the students’ heads.

The first year, all of the hair was thrown away. However, after the event received such a positive response, Mr. Yasenosky decided to make it into something that could help others.

He said that he loves the Beautiful Lengths event. He thinks it brings people together and really likes that he can get to know more students through the event.

“It is a service project that I never dreamt would become what it is right now,” he explained. He added, “It’s about kindness, and it’s about love, and helping those in need.”

Currently, Mr. Yasenosky is busy reaching out to sponsors and distributing permission slips. He expressed that Beautiful Lengths can be a lot of work but everyone’s excitement and enthusiasm towards the event always motivates him.

“Work is hard,” he stated, “but if you work hard and have a solid purpose and you do the best you can, good things are going to come out of it.”

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