The 'head shaving' event is no doubt a fund-raising statement of conviction, but is it too one-dimensional? Too publicity-driven? What is Children Cancer's Foundation doing with the locks and locks of hair after the event on July 1, 2007? Dispose of them in garbage bins?

With the use of online search engines, one could easily discover ways of 're-using/recycling' these locks of hair for the benefit of children as well.

For example, 'Locks of Love' (http://www.locksoflove.org/) is a public non-profit organisation in the US that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 and suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

It's done by appealing to the public to donate 'healthy' hair to create the highest quality hair prostheses. The prostheses help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

Hence, with a little coordinative effort, two non-profit organisations can benefit and achieve their respective goals and 'mission' from a single event.

Most important of all, it has the potential to link two organisations across the Pacific for a common good for the long haul, while continuing to break new ground in elevating human spirit.

Through this joint collaboration, we not only comprehend 'recycling' and 'environmentally-friendly' efforts from a timely, humanistic and less morbid perspective (organ donation, for example), it's also my hope that it will inspire local non-profit organisations to form partnerships for mutual benefits.

I would like the Children's Cancer Foundation to consider the above proposal for the coming July 1 event.

'Hair For Hope' needs to fulfil a higher mission beyond the 'symbolic gesture' of lending morale support to children suffering from cancer, but to truly provide hope (hair prostheses) to children who are affected by long-term medical hair loss, be it as a result of chemotherapy or alopecia areata.

Soh Yew Peng