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<p>Thirty hair donors and 30 volunteer hair cutters came together inside the Pechanga Resort & Casino hotel lobby on Thursday, September 29, for an emotional kick off to October’s observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.</p>
<p>The 30 hair donors each had eight or more inches of their hair cut off all at the same time. It was the first time the Temecula resort held a mass haircutting event. The event known as Hair with Hope was aimed at honoring breast cancer awareness and increasing visibility for the need for hair donations. In the last three years, during the month of October, the Pechanga Resort & Casino Spa has offered free styling hair cuts in exchange for the donation of more than eight inches of hair, but this was the first year that the initiative moved beyond the salon.</p>
<p>“It takes five to six ponytails to make one wig so we need a lot of the help from the community to keep this initiative going,” said Pechanga Resort & Casino Spa Manager, Gina Layland. “It’s a really great event, we offer the complimentary style cut to anyone that donates.”</p>
<p>The first year there was around 25 people who donated their hair, and each year the number of donors has grown, and this year is expected to be the biggest yet.</p>
<p>“Today alone over 30 people donated their hair, and the month has not even started,” Layland added. “The goal is to hopefully get to a hundred people to donate, and that will translate into lots of wigs to a lot of really deserving women in our communities.”</p>
<p>One of the donors who chop off her hair at the event was a 7-year-old girl named Julissa.</p>
<p>“I wanted to donate my hair for other children that don’t have hair because they are sick,” Julissa said. “They are sick, and they need hair.”</p>
<p>After the big hair chops, two brave women currently battling breast cancer came to the stage, and received their own human hair wigs made from hair donations just like the ones at Pechanga Resort & Casino.</p>
<p>“Having my hair and walking out in public is going to be really nice, and I’ll have freedom of all the stares,” said cancer warrior, Monica Quintanilla. “This event definitely lifts my spirit, and makes me feel better throughout all of the hard time I have had gone through cancer.”</p>
<p>Quintanilla was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer, and had already a double mastectomy, and started chemotherapy last august.</p>
<p>“When you lose your hair you feel less than a woman, and embarrassed, so just to get a wig, and get hair on top of my hair I just feel awesome about it,” said Denise Broome, who was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 2016. “I really thank everyone coming in today and donating their hair.”</p>
<p>Anyone wishing to donate their hair for a free cut and style may make a reservation at Spa Pechanga by calling (877) 711-2946 or visit <a href="http://www.pechanga.com/Spa">www.Pechanga.com/Spa</a>.</p>