A few years ago, I got my hair cut, and I donated the hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children. When I recently decided that my hair was taking too much time and effort to maintain, I knew I wanted to donate my hair again. I sought out a salon that collects donations for Locks of Love and had just over 10 inches of hair cut (I’m getting prepped for the cut in the photo to the left). I'm thrilled with my haircut (right), and I hope that I've helped to make a child with hair loss happy. If you're planning to cut 10 or more inches of hair, consider donating it to Locks of Love or another organization.

If you're interested in donating to a good cause that doesn’t involve cutting 10 inches of your hair, consider donating an item (a piece of jewelry you've made, a book, a jewelry-making kit, etc.) to the Bead&Button Show Breast Cancer Auctions. Four silent auctions and one live auction take place at the show every year, and the proceeds are donated to the Medical College of Wisconsin Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Last year the auctions brought in more than $20,000 for cancer research! Check out the Bead&Button Show Web site for more information on donating.

––Katie