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Baton Rouge, La. —
Vernon Parish 4-H students are still getting their scissors out and shears charged up as they prepare for Wednesday's "hair collection day" in Leesville, despite BP's announcement over the weekend that it would not be using hair booms to help soak up the oil in the Gulf.
Even so, Matter of Trust, the organization that has spear-headed the hair collection movement, says it will keep the hair stored locally, just in case. The hair will be used to make hair booms that could be placed around Louisiana's coastal areas to combat the incoming oil. People from all over the U.S. and Canada have already shipped hair to 19 donated warehouses in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, according to the organization's website (www.matteroftrust.org).
Reports over the weekend that the program was cancelled or that the booms were no longer being used has caused some confusion, but local organizers have confirmed that the Vernon Parish collection will continue as planned.
"While BP has decided not to use this technique, the local organizers are continuing to make the booms and the company Matter of Trust is still using the booms," said Rick Barnickel, who with West Central Best Radio (WCBR) is helping put together the hair cutting event.
"The organization has received a lot of hair donations recently, and so they are limiting how many more they take in, but we were signed up before the May 23 deadline and so they are expecting our shipment," Barnickel explained.
The 4-H groups have already seen a great outpouring of support for their drive, both locally and from neighboring parishes.
"It has been going great," said Kem Johnson, a Vernon 4-H leader. "We have had businesses outside of the parish contact us to participate and we will be sending teams out to Oberlin, DeQuincy, Burkeville, Alexandria and even Sabine Parish to collect donations."
The club members are hoping to fill two large shipping boxes this week to send off to the organization. To help them meet that goal, WCBR is helping the students hold their hair collection event Wednesday, May 26, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of the South Gate Shopping Plaza located in front of Four Paws Pet Shop and Billy's Barber Shop.
"We are hoping to have a few beauticians available to cut hair for anyone wanting to make a last minute donation, and because animal hair is just as useful for this project as human hair, we are going to have a few goats and sheep sheared in the parking lot as well," Barnickel said.
Johnson is hoping for a positive turnout from the community to make the donation a success, and she believes that the simplicity of the collection may make it a project everyone can participate in.
"I think it's an easy project to become involved in," Johnson said. "Everyone cuts their hair and there is no minimum limit on its length or the amount a person can donate. Every little bit helps, and the fact that we can use hair from farm animals or even dogs makes it even easier for people to help with."
At the end of the collection event, the hair will be shipped to Matter of Trust where volunteers will be waiting to stuff the hair into mesh booms. These booms will be tied together and stored for possible use in the future.
"The boom will be there in case it is needed," according to Matter of Trust. "There are many Boom B Qs planned for this weekend all along the Coast and the warehouses will soon be fully stocked. At this point, we are asking all new participants who sign up after May 22, 2010 to patiently wait for our emergency alerts before sending more hair to the [G]ulf. We will need all the space we have for all the fiber already in the pipeline."
Vernon Parish 4-H students are still getting their scissors out and shears charged up as they prepare for Wednesday's "hair collection day" in Leesville, despite BP's announcement over the weekend that it would not be using hair booms to help soak up the oil in the Gulf.
Even so, Matter of Trust, the organization that has spear-headed the hair collection movement, says it will keep the hair stored locally, just in case. The hair will be used to make hair booms that could be placed around Louisiana's coastal areas to combat the incoming oil. People from all over the U.S. and Canada have already shipped hair to 19 donated warehouses in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, according to the organization's website (www.matteroftrust.org).
Reports over the weekend that the program was cancelled or that the booms were no longer being used has caused some confusion, but local organizers have confirmed that the Vernon Parish collection will continue as planned.
"While BP has decided not to use this technique, the local organizers are continuing to make the booms and the company Matter of Trust is still using the booms," said Rick Barnickel, who with West Central Best Radio (WCBR) is helping put together the hair cutting event.
"The organization has received a lot of hair donations recently, and so they are limiting how many more they take in, but we were signed up before the May 23 deadline and so they are expecting our shipment," Barnickel explained.
The 4-H groups have already seen a great outpouring of support for their drive, both locally and from neighboring parishes.
"It has been going great," said Kem Johnson, a Vernon 4-H leader. "We have had businesses outside of the parish contact us to participate and we will be sending teams out to Oberlin, DeQuincy, Burkeville, Alexandria and even Sabine Parish to collect donations."
The club members are hoping to fill two large shipping boxes this week to send off to the organization. To help them meet that goal, WCBR is helping the students hold their hair collection event Wednesday, May 26, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of the South Gate Shopping Plaza located in front of Four Paws Pet Shop and Billy's Barber Shop.
"We are hoping to have a few beauticians available to cut hair for anyone wanting to make a last minute donation, and because animal hair is just as useful for this project as human hair, we are going to have a few goats and sheep sheared in the parking lot as well," Barnickel said.
Johnson is hoping for a positive turnout from the community to make the donation a success, and she believes that the simplicity of the collection may make it a project everyone can participate in.
"I think it's an easy project to become involved in," Johnson said. "Everyone cuts their hair and there is no minimum limit on its length or the amount a person can donate. Every little bit helps, and the fact that we can use hair from farm animals or even dogs makes it even easier for people to help with."
At the end of the collection event, the hair will be shipped to Matter of Trust where volunteers will be waiting to stuff the hair into mesh booms. These booms will be tied together and stored for possible use in the future.
"The boom will be there in case it is needed," according to Matter of Trust. "There are many Boom B Qs planned for this weekend all along the Coast and the warehouses will soon be fully stocked. At this point, we are asking all new participants who sign up after May 22, 2010 to patiently wait for our emergency alerts before sending more hair to the [G]ulf. We will need all the space we have for all the fiber already in the pipeline."
