When Allie Bedell was a junior at Londonderry High School, she donated her hair in Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program. The program invites people to cut at least eight inches off their hair and send it to Pantene, the hair and shampoo company, which has partnered with the American Cancer Society to donate real-hair wigs to cancer patients free of charge. Londonderry HS holds the record for the most hair donated at one time.
Two years ago, Bedell, then a junior at KSC, organized a Beautiful Lengths event on campus to honor a family friend who was going to lose her hair as she underwent chemotherapy. She got a Pepsi grant to cover the cost and encouraged 60 women to donate their hair. When she decided to hold the event again this year, Bedell wasn’t sure how she would raise the $800 it usually takes to put on the event, because Beautiful Lengths is not a student organization and doesn’t receive any campus funding. The $800 covers such expenses as scissors, supplies to package and label the donated hair, shipping the hair to Pantene, and t-shirts for each donor.
“We launched a booster campaign and sold t-shirts online to try to raise some money and wound up incredibly lucky,” Bedell said. “We sold more than 160 shirts and received checks from a few very generous donors, bringing our fundraising total to $3,190 in just four weeks. I’m so excited to know that even after I graduate in May, the event will be fully funded for at least two more years.”
How did it go this year? KSC’s Beautiful Lengths took place on Saturday, April 12, in the Spaulding Gym, and 116 donors gave their pony tails to the cause—almost twice last year’s number of donors. If you’d like more info on this worthy event, visit their Facebook page, or check out the article in the Equinox.
If you’ll be in the Lebanon, NH, area on Feb. 28, or around Portland, ME, on March 8, join us for one of our fun regional events.
Save the date: October 12–14—KSC Homecoming! This year, we’ll be celebrating big all weekend! The new TDS building (the Technology, Design and Safety Center) opened its doors this fall, and , and we’ll be showing off our newest building with open houses and receptions!
Here’s a great opportunity to connect with other Keene State alums in the Springfield/Hartford area. Join Alumni Board member Jan Temple Metoxen ’68 and former Alumni and Parent Relations Director, Jeff LaValley ’88 M’99 on October 18th, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Samuel’s at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., for a regional reconnection event. Come network, reconnect with other area alumni, and hear about what’s happening at KSC. There will be free appetizers and a cash bar.
Please join host Blake Richards ’71, other KSC alumni, and representatives from the KSC Alumni Association for a fun, relaxed gathering.
Join Bruce Levine Mellion ’69 and Christine Williams ’11 as they host area alumni for a night of KSC fun on Friday, March 23, from 7–9 at the Playwright Irish Pub in Hamden, CT (1232 Whitney Ave.). Reconnect with KSC friends, network with other alumni, and celebrate the 
This is one of the most beautiful times on campus, so mark your calendars now! This is the weekend that makes parents wish they could be KSC students—it has you in mind! We’ll fill the time with great activities for students and families alike. Take in the Friday night entertainment, the Saturday morning programs with campus leadership (including a chat with President Giles-Gee), the KSCPA annual meeting, afternoon athletic events and other fun, and the Saturday night party. Parent/Family Weekend really gives you a chance to immerse yourself in campus life. Many of the events sell out, so watch your mail in August and register early!
Have you wondered in any other KSC alums live near you? Well, if you are from the Boston area, now is the time to find out!