Erin Blackburn was nervous Monday about lopping off 10 inches or more of her long, wavy, brown hair.

She had donated her hair in 2002 to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides authentic human hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who need them.

But at that time, her hair was easier to let go of because her mother was suffering from breast cancer.

As the braced for the first cut Monday, a friend snapped pictures on a camera phone as Blackburn, an Arroyo Grande resident, wiggled her knees in anticipation.

Having made Blackburn's hair into a low ponytail, San Luis Obispo Beauty College student Roya Sani snipped off 12 inches of hair.

“Am I bleeding?” Blackburn joked as her ponytail was cut.

She held the hair, gathered in a rubberband, and posed for another picture with her now just-below-shoulder length style.

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Blackburn said she watched her mother lose her hair to cancer, and watched children lose their hair. Her mother, Cheryl Hamby of Arroyo Grande, died last year.

“I figure, I have so much of it, why not give some back?” she said.

“It seems like something I need to do every couple years.”

Blackburn was one of a dozen people who had donated at least 10 inches of hair by late Monday afternoon as part of the Cut-A-Thon held by Santa Maria Beauty College at the school on South Broadway.

About 30 beauty school students and professional hairstylists from Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo and surrounding cities donated their time Monday to provide $10 haircuts and collect hair for Locks of Love at the Cut-A-Thon, organizers said. Donors must provide at least 10 inches of hair to be eligible to give to the Locks of Love program.

All the money raised went to Marian Cancer Center programs.

The event, the first of its kind in Santa Maria, ran from noon to 6 p.m. and included music and door prizes. Santa Maria Beauty College is usually closed on Mondays, according to an event planner.

Mary Barncastle, social worker with Marian Cancer Center, said the idea for the Cut-A-Thon arose because Santa Maria Beauty College washed, fitted and styled wigs free of charge for Marian Cancer Center and wanted to help more.

“I'm pleased. I think it's great,” Barncastle said. She said she's talking about making the event annual.

Kim Summerville, supervisor for Santa Maria Beauty College, planned the Cut-A-Thon along with Barncastle. She hoped for a bigger turn-out of people getting their haircut Monday.

“I really thought ... people would come out a little more,” she said.

Summerville and Gold Coast Education Administrative Assistant Albert Licerio, however, were pleased with the number of people who donated to Locks of Love.

As for Blackburn's stylist Sani, she was just glad to be useful and work for a good cause.

“My family's in the medical business, so I knew I had to be here,” she said.

“I wanted to be a part of it,” Sani said.

For information on donating hair to Locks of Love, and to download a hair donation form, visit www.locksoflove.org.

Samantha Yale can be reached at 739-2159 or syale@santamaria

times.com.

February 13, 2007