Sixty-two students and another eleven teachers, parents and friends each donated a minimum of 7 inches of hair at the third annual Notre Dame San Jose cut-a-thon for “Locks of Love.” The event took place Tuesday, November 6, 2007 in the Notre Dame High School gymnasium in Downtown San Jose, CA. A dozen professional stylists from salons in Downtown San Jose and Los Gatos arrived early and cut hair nonstop throughout the entire school day. The hair valued at over $200,000 will be donated to "Locks of Love", www.locksoflove.org, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children suffering from long term medical illnesses that result in hair loss.

According to Angela Gonzaga, Director of Community Service Learning at Notre Dame High School in San Jose, “The phones were ringing off the hook with people anxiously trying to add themselves to our waiting list. Unfortunately we had to turn at least 30 people away, but we encouraged them to get their hair cut and we will add their donation to the group donation.”

When asked why Hannah Rose Robinson, Junior, at Notre Dame High School in San Jose took on this huge project of coordinating a dozen stylist, recruiting and scheduling over 70 students, teachers and friends she said, “Because this is something ‘I’ can do. And, the support I’ve received from my friends, teachers and everyone at Notre Dame has been wonderful.”

While watching the young women donate their long ponytails, Mary Beth Riley, Principal of Notre Dame High School in San Jose said, “I am so proud of our students. These young women are giving up what they feel makes them beautiful, and in doing so they are showing their true beauty.”

The “Locks of Love” Cut-a-Thon is just one of the activities in Notre Dame High School’s “Women to Women Week 2007” (November 5th through 9th, 2007). Other activities include: “Think Pink Day,” “Go Red for Women Day” and an “International Health Watch Day.” Notre Dame students organize speakers, set up informational displays, and hold fundraising activities giving their fellow students an opportunity to learn more and become involved in cancer prevention, heart disease prevention and human trafficking awareness.