South Lake High School raises $1,000 for Wigs 4 Kids

A local child with a hair-loss condition will now receive a much-needed wig, thanks to the fundraising efforts of students at .

Recently students spearheaded a fundraiser that generated approximately $1,000 for .

Located in St. Clair Shores, Wigs 4 Kids is a non-profit organization that helps children and young adults experiencing hair loss by providing custom-fitted, age-appropriate wigs.

The fundraiser was a spur-of-the-moment initiative that began right around the time of the school’s unique annual tradition: a volleyball powder puff game that pits senior boys against junior boys.

South Lake science teacher Paul Voydanoff has been coordinating the volleyball powder puff game for 13 years. The idea of having a fundraiser this year came about when the senior girls made a sarcastic comment about the boys.

“One day, the senior girls were making fun of the boys and how they play volleyball, so the next day the boys said, ‘We’ll challenge them to a game in the auxiliary gym,’ ” Voydanoff said.

To add more spirit to the game, the students agreed to make it a fundraising event, but they didn’t have a charity in mind. Eileen Hilton, the principal’s secretary, suggested Wigs 4 Kids, and the students set a goal of raising at least $800 to cover the cost of one wig.

The fundraiser kicked off with selling paper stars bearing the name of anyone who donated to the cause. The stars were sold during seminar and lunch, and also during one of the school’s athletic events. All sold stars were posted on the glass walls of the school’s main office.

Then came the much-anticipated boys-vs.-girls volleyball game. “It was close. The boys gave the girls a run for their money,” Voydanoff said. But in the end, the girls prevailed and the game raised $150.

During the two-week fundraiser, students, staff and even other South Lake schools made contributions, Voydanoff said. The middle school student council donated $100, and Avalon Elementary’s fourth-grade class donated $152 from its Friday bagel sales.

As the fundraiser came to a close, it became evident that the students had actually exceeded their goal and raised a total of $1,000.

“It makes me feel very proud when students can think of others before themselves,” Voydanoff said. “In a society where they get such a raw deal, it’s these things that should be acknowledged and celebrated.”

Once they learn the identity of the child they assisted, the students plan to hang a framed picture of that person wearing their new wig.

To celebrate the students’ achievement, South Lake High School recently invited Wigs 4 Kids founder and CEO Maggie Varney to come for a visit.

“This is wonderful. It’s about kids helping kids, and it raises awareness of our organization and the kids we help,” Varney said.

While the organization’s main focus is cancer patients, it also helps young people who have lost their hair as a result of lupus, alopecia, blood disorders, burns or trichotillomania (hair loss from compulsive pulling).

“By providing custom-fitted, age-appropriate wigs that are individually cut and styled, we help our kids feel better about their appearance and look more like their peers,” Varney said. “We currently have a couple of children from St. Clair Shores whom we have provided wigs for, so the South Lake students are really helping serve children in our community.”