lovelock

With locks and locks of love, Lauren

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By RICH WERTZ

Record-Eagle staff writer

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Kimberly Dante, owner of Epiphany Salon in Traverse City, cuts Lauren Burnheimer's hair Tuesday afternoon. Burnheimer donated her hair for use in wigs of cancer patients.

TRAVERSE CITY- After letting her hair grow for an entire year 6-year-old lauren Burnheimer had a good 10 inches cut off Tuesday."For another girl or boy Lauren explained.

The Traverse City girl donated her locks to a nonprofit organization

called Locks of Love . the organization collects donated hair that is made

into wigs for children with medical conditions that cause hair loss.

Lauren learned of the program from Kimberly Dante, owner of

Epiphany Salon in Traverse City. Dante cut Lauren 's hair and bundled

it for shipment to Locks Of Love, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Ann Burnheimer, the girl's mother, said her daughter gets a lot of

compliments about her hair, and sharing it seemed like a good idea.

"She thought it would make Jesus smile," an Burnheimer said.

Lauren had no regrets about giving away her hair. she still has

enough to reach her shoulders, and long hair can be a pain, she said.

"Because my dad or mom would tug on it," Lauren said, describing

her view of the process of getting rid of snarls.

"She's excited," her mother said. "She's been shaking her hair around-

and doesn't get any snarls."

Locks of Love was founded in 1997 by wig business owner

Peggy Knight. Knight lost her own hair at the age of 14 because

of a medical condition.

The organization gives the $3,000 wigs free, or on a scale based

on ability to pay, to children under age 18 who have long-term

medical hair loss. It is trying to start a second program to give

synthetic wigs to children who temporariliy lose their hair because of

chemotherapy treatments.

The organization's address on the World Wide Web is www.locksoflove.org