Rachel Hoppe (r), health outreach liaison for the Teen Health Center, was the impetus behind a schoolwide assembly at Kalkaska Middle School in support of Brittany Hamlet (l). Photo by Heidi Berden

Hamlet recently was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a bone cancer, in her shoulder. She has been receiving chemo therapy at DeVos Children's Hospital. It made her hair fall out.

"I told her that if she didn't want to be the only girl in school without hair, that I'd shave my head," Hoppe said.

On Wednesday, May 9, the school gym was transformed into a salon and more than 40 students, teachers and members of the community either had their hair cut to make wigs for cancer patients through Locks of Love or shaved completely off, in support of Hamlet.

"I'm kind of scared," Hamlet said before the event began. "There are a lot of people in this school."

Five beauticians from the area plugged-in their clippers and readied their scissors for the onslaught of "customers" that came to them in rapid-fire fashion.

Diana Soper, Hamlet's aunt was one of them. Julie Kuhns, formerly of the Hair Depot, Marilyn Totten, owner/operator of Profiles Salon, Joyce Gaultiere of the Hair Depot, and Jammie Carr, manager of Winners Edge, made the hour-long event run smoothly.

"In the end, over two dozen people had their head shaved and 14 donated their hair to Locks of Love," Hoppe said.