Pass the Ponytail motorcycle ride raises money for Children with Hair Loss
Most of the local motoring crowd was gathered on Fort Street for the annual Cruisin’ Downriver celebration, or at the Fairlane Club of America national meet in Dearborn, but there was yet another “cruise” on Saturday.
The fourth annual “Pass the Ponytail” motorcycle run to raise money for Children with Hairloss gathered at Big Al’s Sports Grille.
While the crowd wasn’t as large as it has been in previous years, the group of bikers and their friends who showed up raised more than $8,000 for the charity.
Roger and Debbie Taylor co-founded the event, which now serves as the largest fundraiser of the year for the Children with Hair Loss charity.
“Biker’s have huge hearts,” Debbie Taylor said. “They’re all over with huge hearts for kids and any type of charity events.”
The actual ride, out to the Irish Hills area and back, wasn’t without its setbacks this year. Riders hit a large rainstorm, and one of the three groups had a break down and had to wait for a trailer to haul away one of the motorcycles.
“We give all the children that have lost hair for any medical reason free hairpieces,” Roger Taylor said.
The charity opened in 2000, with the goal of providing human hair to every child in the country who needed it“We have all types of hair,” Debbie Taylor said. “We can help children of any ethic background.”
The charity helps anyone age 21 or younger by giving them a free hairpiece once a year. The group has never charged a single person for a hairpiece.
In 2005, the charity purchased the old South Rockwood Fire Department building and renovated it into a national headquarters. The charity currently helps about 300 children a year, with new clients and donors added all of the time.
“It is our mission to make these children whole again by making hair replacement available to them, especially those who are financially in need,” Debbie Taylor said.
The charity is always looking for donations, both monetary and in actual human hair. There are some rules to donating hair.
•Hair should be at least 8 inches in length, but longer is preferred.
•Hair must be clean and dry, pony-tailed and/or braided (this keeps the hair in one direction).
•Place a rubber band or pony tail holder at each end.
•Non-chemically treated hair is preferred (but any hair in good condition will be accepted).
•Gray hair is accepted.
•Print hair donation form (available on the website).
•Place donation form and hair in ziplock bag and mail to Children with Hair Loss, 12776 Dixie Hwy, South Rockwood, MI 48179
For more information, find the charity on the Internet at childrenwithhairloss.us
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