The 2nd annual Spring Service Fair sponsored by  Alpha Phi Omeaga took place on April 7. UW-Platteville students were encouraged to write letters to children, donate hair to the Locks of Love or make coloring books and decorate IV bag covers for Madison’s Children Hospital.

APO did this type of event last year and they believed that the event was a service project that allowed college students to participate without the hassel or time constraint.

Photograph by Kaitlin Schrader
Marshall Smith, senior psychology major, colors an IV bag cover, while Lauren Drury, hairstylist for J Paul’s of Platteville, cuts senior building construction management, and president of APO, Megan Nowak’s hair.

“It’s really easy to have a small amount of work to impact someone’s life,” Marshall Smith, a senior pschology major and APO member, said.

The fraternity started planning this event over a month ago. The biggest part of the whole event was contacting Locks of Love and setting up with them.

Smith, who was in charge of this event, said that they had to create a poster that advertised the event, and send it to the Locks of Love.  The organization then had to then approve the event’s poster in order to allow APO to use the Locks of Love logo.
Students who donated their hair to Locks of Love believed that their hair was going to a good cause.

“I was planning on doing it anyways and I read it on the Intercom that they were here, so I decided to come over and donate,” Thea Somers, a junior chemistry and music major, said. “It’s good to know it [her hair] doesn’t get thrown away.”

Lauren Drury, hairstylist from J Paul’s of Platteville, joined the APO and Locks of Love to cut people’s hair.
APO’s goal is to have a group of service leaders that have fun while doing service hours, Smith said. He said that this event helped students see that their efforts can affect others.

Photograph by Kaitlin Schrader

Locks of Love, according to their Web site, is a non-profit organization that takes donated hair and provides hairpieces to children who suffer from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.  For more information on Locks of Love, visit their Web site at locksoflove.org.