Marshall University’s WMUL-FM had its eighth annual Hair From The Herd event Wednesday on the Memorial Student Center Plaza.

The event was a chance for students and faculty to donate hair to Locks of Love to help provide wigs for people with hair loss.

The total hair donated was 69 feet and 6 inches of hair from 21 donors. The biggest donation was 185 inches of hair.

The Huntington School of Beauty and Culture and Apex Salon cut the hair at the event.

“We’ve actually participated almost every year that the event has been going on,” said Catherine Belvin, owner and director of Apex Salon. “So it’s just something that we plan to do every year. It’s a great event, it’s for a great cause and so we’re here to support it.”

WMUL-FM Promotions Director Katlyn Swecker said the event does more than just donate hair.

“I actually had a friend in elementary school, a disease developed and she lost all her hair,” Swecker said. “She is now 22 years old, and it still hasn’t grown back. I remember when she was little when she first got her hair piece she was so excited because people weren’t staring at her like she was weird anymore, and she felt more comfortable. If we could give back to more children that are experiencing that it would be great for them to feel like they were beautiful again.”

To donate, the minimum is six inches of hair and can vary anywhere to ten inches if it is all one length.

“What they typically do is take the 10 inches and use that for wigs and hair pieces,” Belvin said. “And the six inch hair and grey hair will sell to offset the cost of making wigs.”

Shannon Miller-Mace, math professor said it was not her first time participating in the event.

“I actually donated in 2009 with my mom and so I’ve decided to come back every couple of years,” Miller-Mace said. “I end up having enough hair by two years to come and donate it.”

Sara Ryan can be contacted at [email protected].