DEARBORN — A group of Dearborn girls had their long hair lopped off last Monday at McDonald Elementary School, offering their thick locks to a charity that provides hairpieces for disadvantaged children who suffer from illness-related hair loss. Fifth-grade teacher Reem Bathish organized an assembly at the school where students with pony tails longer than 10 inches could have them cut off and sent to the Florida-based nonprofit Locks of Love. Nine girls donated locks from 10 to 16 inches long. Bathish gave 18 inches of her own hair for the cause. She did the same thing five years ago in the same school auditorium in front of all the students. That time she did it alone, but it didn’t stay that way. “Within the next two years, eight girls came to me with pony tails because I had done it and because they were inspired,” Bathish said. It typically takes six to 10 pony tails to make a hairpiece, but Bathish thinks it would probably take less using the locks coming from this community. “Being Middle Eastern, we have thick hair.”

Ninety percent of McDonald students are Arab American, according to principal Megdieh Jawad. Zeinab Beydoun, 10, who had 11 inches of hair cut off, said she had been bugging her mom to cut her long, burdensome hair, and that the donation drive gave her the chance. “If this didn’t happen, my hair would have still been long,” she said. “My parents were very proud.”

Freya Nagle, 7, donated ten inches. She said she did it because her grandmother died of cancer. Two students from other Dearborn schools and one parent also donated.

It was Bathish’s fourth time donating to Locks of Love. She said she would continue to grow out, cut and donate her hair for the rest of her life. “If you can give away something without any harm to you, then you should do it,” she said. Students also collected money to be sent to the charity. There were some who wanted to donate hair, but didn’t have enough length. They may be able to give next year. Bathish said she plans to hold the event again, and that she’s been pressuring other teachers to take the plunge and pony tail up. “It looks like word is going to spread around… Wouldn’t it be incredible if Dearborn became known for giving the most ponytails to children who need them?”

At Monday’s assembly, where the students had their pony tails cut on stage by three volunteer hair dressers (one of them a former student of Bathish), Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly said he would consider growing his beard until it reaches ten inches for donation. Bathish said the event is scheduled to be broadcast on Dearborn Schools’ cable channel WDPS (Comcast channel 19 and Wow channel 15) on December 1 and 2, at 11 a.m. Principal Jawad said McDonald Elementary frequently involves the students in charity efforts, including a canned food drive and fundraising events for South Lebanon and Darfur. “I have great teachers who go out of their way to help the community… and they go beyond the community.”

Bathish said it’s important to expose the kids to a wide range of experiences. “It’s not all about reading and writing.”