Losing Locks For Leukemia

Apr 08,2008 00:00 by Lawrence Harris
The students and teachers at Adair County High School held a fundraiser for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and one of their own who’s young child is battling the disease.
Blane Bardin is the 1-year old son of Shawn Bardin a Special Education Instructor for Adair County and Kasey Burton who teaches in Pulaski County.
Blane was diagnosed with Leukemia in October of last year and has been battling the disease for the past six months traveling to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville for treatment.
The ACHS Beta Club members Lydia Tiller, Alesha Compton, Kaitie Luckey, Todd Smith and Hannah Peck with club sponsors James Bryant and Keri Willis and the ACHS Student Council with sponsors Phyllis Bell and Chad Parnell sponsors developed a contest that would include donating hair to the Locks of Love, which is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
The contest included a head-shaving competition along with Pennies for Patients drive that collected $681.13 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
The "Assembly for Blane" took place last Friday and just before the festivities began the teachers and students that filled the gym donated and additional $740.08 for the Bardin family.
Penny jars where set up with the names of teachers who volunteered to have their head shaved as well as students who stepped up to support the cause.
The volunteers included teachers James Bryant, Brent Campbell, Corey Wood, and Judy Reliford in addition to students Todd Smith, Chris Persinger, Justin Bledsoe, Ethan Pelly, Jordan Burton, Matt Poff, Craig Clark and Jeremy Feese.When all was said and done teacher James Bryant would be the chosen one for the teachers and Todd Smith for the students by receiving the most money in their jars.
Smith was the first to feel the buzz of hair stylist Peggy Lawson’s clippers followed by his fellow students who volunteered to shave their heads for Bardin.
After the students were finished a seemingly reluctant Bryant sat down and was soon watching his hair hit the floor.
Campbell and Wood who also donated their hair for the cause followed Bryant and then Reliford sat down to give up part of her locks.
Reliford donated a total of 14 inches of hair to the Locks of Love program.
In addition to Lawson Amanda Hatcher was also on hand with her clippers to remove the hair of the volunteers.