Melinda Arthur, 2014 24 Foundation Grand Tour rider on Team Collin,  graciously shared her experience with “The Big Cut” fundraising event, sheering off her hair to raise funds for 24 Foundation.

I am blessed with a lot of hair that grows very fast, fine and straight. It’s the kind of hair wig makers for children really like. Four years ago I chose to grow my hair long so I could wear it in a braid like I did in my youth. My good friend Gwen Wells is a stylist and we talked about donating my hair when the time came. That time was June 7, 2014 during a street festival called Uncle Billy’s Day. We called my sheering “The Big Cut.”

But first, in May I put up a challenge on Facebook — if I could raise $500 I would get my hair cut really short. I posted pictures of my mane from the back, reaching to my waist. The money raised would go to Team Collin for 24 Foundation. Gwen chose Wigs for Kids to be the recipient of all that hair. Wigs For Kids gives free wigs to children who have lost their hair to cancer, alopecia or other illnesses.

It didn’t take long to raise the challenge money. I asked for $500 and got $545 within a few days. To thank my sponsors, I wrote all of their names on the Team Collin t-shirt I wore for the sheering. I got swag made with the Team Collin logo and 24 Foundation sent me great giveaways and door prize items. Mitchell’s Salon on 7th provided even more valuable door prizes.

Vaughn,  my husband, arrived at the festival around noon to take photos, after having ridden 30 miles from home on his bike sporting the 24 Foundation  kit. At 2:00PMGwen and two of her stylists divided my hair into sections to get the maximum amount out of the cut. It took three of them nearly half an hour to braid all those sections because they were all 18-20” long. Miss Virginia East Coast, Julie Witcher, put her crown on my head and then the cutting started. People stopped to see what was going on and we told them about Team Collin, 24 Foundation and Wigs For Kids. It was a great experience garnering even more donations. Gwen razored a great pixie cut for me that will be truly welcome as I ride the Grand Tour of 24 Hours of Booty this year.

At the end of the day we had raised another $158 for 24 Hours of Booty, about a pound of hair for Wigs For Kids along with donations for them too and we spread the message of LIVESTRONG, 24 Foundation and Team Collin to yet another audience. The total raised for 24 Foundation in “The Big Cut” was $703.00. Thanks and Love to everyone who contributed in pulling this together…you all know who you are!

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