Last year, Coppell High School senior Rachel Sun started the Hair for Hope Club to donate to hair organizations. Her passion for donating hair rooted from childhood, when she donated her own hair with Locks for Love, another hair donating club. Since August, Sun has strived to continue her club and set new goals with the help of her teacher sponsor, Krissy Baker.

What prompted you to start Hair for Hope Club?

I’ve been donating my hair since third grade, so it’s been a big part of my life. At Lakeside Elementary School, we had an activity called Locks for Love where the whole school would come together and donate our hair one day of every year, and I did that twice in elementary school. It was a nice experience of being able to donate hair to people that need it more than I do. It allows for me to have a leadership position, responsibilities and have a club where everyone feels included. Other people’s ideas are important in a team’s effort.

What are the most meaningful achievements Hair for Hope has made?

We started last year and a good amount of people joined. This year, we have 25 people. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we got to sell pink scrunchies and hair ribbons. We donated those profits to various hair organizations [such as Wigs for Kids]. This year, it’s harder to still keep the club going and trying to get people involved.

What is your main goal this year for the club?

To have a fundraising day during a pep rally. [It would be] a hair donation event in which anybody of any grade level can come, and we can cut their hair [to] help different charities. We could call up a charity like Wigs for Kids, and they’ll get hair salons to come. It would be a really fun experience for everyone at CHS.

How do you fund your club?

Mainly, we have each member of our club donate a small amount of money in order to fund the making of our products to sell to other people. A member of our club [senior Rachel Hertanto] makes scrunchies, so she has an Instagram page to sell them. Last November, we had everyone post on Instagram to advertise the page and sell scrunchies, but this year, it has been harder because of social distancing.

What are your hobbies?

I’m in band, and I take mostly AP classes. I am a peer-tutor. Peer-tutor is where students are able to help our special needs students at Coppell High School. It’s been more difficult this year being virtual, so we make presentations where special needs students can do specific tasks online instead of in-person, and it’s a beneficial class to take.

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