By Suzanne Laurent
Staff writer
August 08, 2008 12:22 pm LONDONDERRY — It may seem a little premature to be planning for Londonderry High School's winter pep rally. But, it's not too soon to plan on donating hair at the third annual Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign that takes place during the rally planned for Jan. 9, 2009. Hair's gotta grow, right? Steve Juster, organizer of the high school pep rallies, said that since the first campaign during the January 2007 rally, students and others from the community have continued to donate hair all year long. During that first rally, 64 students and two staff members offered up their long locks in what turned out to be a national media event gaining the attention of "Good Morning America," which did a taping at the rally. This year the amount of participants doubled at the Jan. 11 winter rally, when 133 ponytails were donated to Pantene's partner HairUWear — a company that makes wigs to distribute to cancer patients through the American Cancer Society. "My concern is that incoming ninth graders will not know we're planning this again, and during the dog days of August they will chop off their hair, and not be able to grow it in time to donate," Juster said "Last year, I was able to go over and speak to the eighth-graders at the end of the school year. But schedules and agendas being what they are, presenting at the middle school this past spring did not work out." Eight inches of healthy hair are needed to qualify for the donation. Hair grows at a rate of 1/2 to 1 inch a month, so it's a good time to start planning to participate in the hair-cutting event. Juster said 15 students have already pledged their hair and have parent permission slips signed. Juster's wife, Liz Juster, also a teacher at Londonderry High, and his two daughters, soon-to-be senior Kelly and incoming junior Katie are all planning to have their hair cut as well. Although he insists the ponytail cutting parties are about the generous donors and not him, Juster is the go-to man when people donate hair. "So many kids stop by during the school year, quietly, with donations," Juster said. "Kelly Giguere, another LHS teacher, came to a meeting this summer at the high school that she knew I would be at with four plastic bags containing ponytails, from her aunt's salon, that her aunt wanted delivered to me." Micaela Hill, a 2008 graduate, cut 4 inches off her hair in early September last year. When Juster began promoting this year's event, Hill pledged and still managed to donate 8 inches by January, bringing her long hair up to shoulder length. "Her elementary school-age sister also donated," Juster said. "She's a hero of mine, to be sure." And the first ponytail for the next pep rally is in. Andrew Selover, another recent graduate who donated during the first rally, returned to school the Tuesday after graduation and handed Juster a baggie with his ponytail to get things rolling. Any questions on the program or sign-up requests can be sent to Juster at sjuster@londonderry.org.
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