Marlboro Scouts donate hair to help sick youths
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

Marlboro Girl Scouts Alexis Alviggi (l) and Jessica Russo show the hair that they recently donated to Locks of Love. The girls' hair will be used to make hairpieces for youngsters who have an illness that has caused them to lose their hair.

MARLBORO - What started as a project to earn a bronze Girl Scout medal for two young ladies turned into what they each believe will be a continuing commitment to charitable works that help enhance the lives of those who directly benefit from their efforts.

Jessica Russo, 10, and her best friend, Alexis Alviggi, 9, are members of Girl Scout Troop 1935 at the Frank J. Dugan Elementary School. Their moms, Anne Russo and Linda Alviggi, direct the troop.

Last month both girls cut their hair and donated it to Locks of Love, an organization that takes the hair and fashions it into hairpieces for children who have illnesses that result in a loss of hair. The minimum length for hair to be donated to Locks of Love is 10 inches.

This was not the first time Jessica had donated hair to Locks of Love. She did it for the first time when she was 8 years old, donating 14 inches of her hair at that time.

Both girls said they will continue to grow their hair long just so they can keep making donations to Locks of Love.

Alexis matter of factly said that although they do most everything together, she has to concede that Jessica's hair grows a lot quicker than hers and so although she will try to grow what she can to donate at the same time again with her friend, she is satisfied with all of the other things they do together - like singing in the choir at St. Gabriel's Church or their dance competition team where they train in jazz dance.

Soon, both girls will be taking on a new community project through their Girl Scout troop in which they will be knitting baby blankets that will be donated to hospitals. Both girls enthusiastically said they like the feeling that doing work that benefits others gives them.

Since this was Alexis' first turn at a Locks of Love donation, she said she did not know what to expect but came away from the experience inspired.

"It was a very good experience because you know you're doing good for other people," she said.

Acknowledging that they earned a medal and made a difference in someone else's life by donating their hair, Alexis said, "I think it is a good thing to do and a good way for us to advance in Girl Scouts, but also for the kids with cancer. I think a lot of girls should do it if they have the hair."

Jessica said, "I felt really proud of myself and that I did something that is really good for a good cause."

Doing something for a good cause is a Russo family tradition, according to Jessica, who said her entire family has followed in the footsteps of her father, Tom, by volunteering at the Special Olympics.