The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Hair today, wig tomorrow By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 13 · Thursday, July 1, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com F or various medical, or otherwise, reasons not all children can grow hair. That is why an Oakville father, his children and their teacher have shaved their heads to make wigs for children. As the word spread across the Halton Catholic District School Board, they were joined by some 30 students, parents and teachers, who did the same on Wednesday, June 23. And those who received a haircut were not the only contributors, as a majority of hair salons and barbershops in Oakville provided their support as well. The Angels for Angel Hair event took place at Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School, which is the school of the two children. Giuseppe Peritore said the event snowballed from something that originally started with only a few people to the large event that included children from nearly every grade from some six schools. "We're doing it because we're giving a personal gift of ourselves to someone else," he said. It started about four years ago when Peritore, who normally wears his hair short, did a shave for another charity at his workplace, Trillium Health Centre. Someone dared him to grow his hair out in order to have it long enough for a wig, which needs to be at least 10 inches. He accepted the challenge and spent nearly two years growing his hair out and had it shaved for the Angel Hair for Kids. His son Gaetano's Grade 1 teacher at the time, Annissa McClure, told him she would like to do a similar thing and he told her he would support her in the endeavor and do it one more time. His son, who is now in Grade 3, and his daughter, Celestia, who is now in McClure's Grade 1 class, also decided to cut their hair. So two years later, with the hair all grown out again, the family and several of McClure's students had a cut. "This whole idea was born out of the idea of a Grade 1 teacher and her students," Peritore said. The word has also spread across the school board and others joined the event from other schools. Furthermore, professional hairstyl- ists, along with hairstyling students from St. Thomas Aquinas High School, were on site to cut the hair. Peritore said it takes about 10 to 12 ponytails to make one wig prosthesis for a child. Angel Hair for Kids is a program of a Child's Voice Foundation, based out of Mississauga, which provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged children who have lost hair due to a medical condition or treatment. However, hair is not enough to make a wig. It costs about $1,000 to make one wig. So that is where the salons and barbershops have stepped up. Nearly all Oakville salons and shops participated by asking their customers for financial donations to the program. Peritore said there were about 90 businesses participating. The event collected some $7,500 and almost 200 ponytails through the shave at the school and through the salons. Peritore said anyone can still make a monetary donation to the cause until July 20 by visiting www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.as px?gpID=7439. HAVE A CANADA DAY! MICHELLE SIU / OAKVILLE BEAVER LIGHTHEADED: Second grader Grace Vander Doelen, of Mother Teresa School, reacts after getting 10 inches of hair cut off during the Angels for Angel Hair event on Wednesday morning. DON'T DRINK & DRIVE! Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Broker SAVE LIVES, SAFE Sales Representative 326 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville BRENDA CURLISS SPRIGGS INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED Mississauga (416)798-7527 Burlington (905)681-4035 Oakville (905)844-9232 Fax (905)845-1634 e-mail: info@spriggs.ca SUGGESTS 5 TIPS FOR CANADIANS TO FOLLOW TO ENSURE A SAFER HOLIDAY ON THE ROADS AND WATERWAYS. 1. Plan ahead. Be sure you know how you are getting home. Arrange for your designated driver or for your ride. 2. Arrange for alternative transportation when drinking alcohol or taking drugs.You cannot plan for every social occasion, but you can always call a taxi or plan a lift if you partake at a gathering. 3. Avoid drinking and driving altogether when you will be driving on the roads, off-road trails or waterways. Impaired driving tragedies occur on your ATV, with your boating fun, as well as on roadways. Always be sure the driver of the vehicle is sober. 4. Talk your friends and family members from getting into a vehicle with an impaired driver. Be sure your loved ones are always safe from potentially dangerous impaired driving situations. 5. Be an example. Make a personal pledge to always drive sober. Be a good friend and always warn against impaired driving situations. Be a good host by providing alternatives to alcoholic drinks, ensuring your guests travel home safe, or offering a place to stay for those who have had too much. (905)845-4267 E-mail: brendacurliss@cogeco.ca www.royallepage.ca/BrendaCurliss 159 Church Street Oakville, Ontario L6J 1N1 Phone (905) 845-3654 Fax (905) 845-9748 FORTINOS LTD. 173 Lakeshore Road West Oakville, ON L6K 1E7 Check Us Out! John Crnogorac Franchise Owner 928 Winston Churchill Blvd., akville, ON L6J 7X5 TEL: (905) 338-9919 FAX: (905) 338-3089 Your Supermarket with a Heart!