The Circle K International organization is putting on a hair drive around the Big Rapids area to give back to the community.
For 11 years, this “hair harvest” has been taking place at nearly 20 salons in the surrounding area. The Circle K International organization chose to start an annual hair drive to help children with medical conditions, or treatments, who are suffering from hair loss.
At any of these 20 participating salons, customers can choose to donate their trimmed locks to the Circle K International organization.
According to Bryce Welsh, president of Circle K International on campus and first year-pharmacy student, some salons even give free hair styles and other incentives to the customers who donate hair.
“The Circle K International members are ones who organize this hair drive. We always collaborate and contact the salons in the area to see who will help harvest our hair,” Welsh said.
The Drive begins Feb. 14 and lasts until March 1. When the hair drive is over, members of Circle K take the hair to “A Touch of Class Salon” in the Mecosta Osceola Career Center, where they measure and count all of the hair that was cut.
As soon as all of the hair is counted, members of Circle K will sort the hair by length. They then donate all of the hair to two organizations including, “Locks of Love,” which is a nationwide company, as well as “Wigs-4-Kids,” a Michigan-based company.
“Last year we raised over 4,000 inches [of hair]. I would like to see over 5,000 inches of hair raised this year; however, I know that is going to be a hard goal to reach,” Welsh said. “The community has been donating a lot over the last few years, and I would like to see them outdo themselves again.”
Circle K International is an organization focused and driven on community service, with the motivation of giving back to the greater Big Rapids community. Each member participates in a variety of community service events throughout the school year.
The organization’s big event this year was a haunted house event in Paris during October. All of the money the members had raised from this event was donated to the community.
Welsh explained that after raising over $6,000 this year, the organization’s main focus is to give it all back. Circle K International adopted more than 30 children for Christmas, buying them numerous gifts and making other donations.
In the coming months, Circle K International will also be assembling Easter baskets for foster children and putting on a food drive for kids that cannot afford to eat dinner.
According to Welsh, Circle K International’s goal is to make sure they are giving back to the community.