PBSC employees donate hair to help others
Palm Beach State College employee Sonia Ortiz loves growing her hair out long. That’s because she knows what it can do for a child.
Ortiz, an enrollment management specialist, has donated 10 inches of her hair five times to Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
“I saw an advertisement one day, a very long time ago, and I have always had long hair; now, I had a purpose for it and it has been a blessing,” said Ortiz. “One year, even my young niece went with me and donated her hair after she asked me about it and I explained how young girls like her that were suffering from cancer needed our help.”
Ortiz is not the only Palm Beach State employee who donates. Each October, Karen Lippe, project reports coordinator, cuts her hair.
“I do it to give back,” said Lippe. “I have lost way too many friends to cancer and I want to do what I can to support cancer patients.”
Lippe also donates to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program that makes wigs for adults.
Ortiz and Lippe also join James Evans, IT help desk representative, and Claudette Grindley, human resources representative, among others, who have donated to Locks of Love. They hope to inspire other employees to do the same.
Ortiz got her hair cut off for the fifth time last week on campus in PBSC’s cosmetology department.
