Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® and Avant Salon Present: A Hair-Raising Event to Benefit Locks of Love

To help promote Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Bellobration, coming to the Frank Erwin Center August 20-24, Avant Salon and Spa has agreed to join in a “Hair-Raising Event” to benefit the Locks of Love Foundation.

Circus star Bello knows a thing or two about “hair-raising” with his perpetually extended 'do, which sticks straight up into the air.  And the folks at Avant Salon are eager to do a little hair raising of their own, as select stylists in the two Austin locations will be taking donations for the Locks of Love Foundation on Thursday, August 21, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  
 
All donated hair cuts will be free.  All others who would like to participate, but don’t have hair that is long enough, are invited to have their hair cut by select Avant stylists and all the proceeds from the sale go to Locks of Love.

Donation Guidelines:
- 10” or longer ponytail or braid (from tip to tip)
- Clean & dry
- Dyed hair & permed hair can be used
- Bleached hair cannot be used

Avant Salon Locations (by appointment only):
Downtown Austin- 318 Colorado, 512-472-6357
Gateway Shopping Center - 9901 Capital of Texas Hwy, 512-502-8268
www.avantsalon.com
 
Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides vacuum fitted hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. They meet a unique need for children by using donated human hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure.
 
Others have suffered severe burns or injuries or endured radiation treatment to the brain stem or other dermatological conditions that result in permanent hair loss. The vacuum fit is designed for children who have experienced total loss of scalp hair and does not require the use of tape or glue. The prostheses they provide help to restore self-esteem and confidence, enabling these children to face the world and their peers.
 
The organization, which began operation in 1998, provides the prostheses to children, ages 6-18, every 18 months for a total of up to 8 hairpieces. These hairpieces require between 6-10 ponytails and take approximately 4-6 months to manufacture. Thousands of bundles of donated hair arrive as a result of the national publicity that Locks of Love receives in newspapers, magazines, and television programs. It is estimated that children comprise over 80 percent of the donors, making this a charity where children have an opportunity to help children. Monetary donations to Locks of Love are tax deductible.