For the past 15 years, Mount Airy resident Hannah Streaker has been growing her hair as long as possible, but now it’s getting shorter again. She’s done this 10 times, donating a total of 9 feet of her hair to organizations like Wigs for Kids and Locks of Love.
Both organizations provide wigs to children undergoing cancer treatment and children with alopecia, which causes hair loss.
On Wednesday, Streaker, 19, got her hair cut for the 10th time at Cutting Edge Styling Studio in Frederick.
“It’s insane that I’ve done this 10 times. I want to do this as long as I live,” Streaker said.
Salon owner Cindy Baer helped Hannah with her first donation and has done all of her cuts since then. Bear said many people come to her store to donate hair, but Hannah is the only customer to donate hair more than once.
“She’s my only repeat customer,” Bear said, “so we have something special.”
The average head of hair grows about half an inch each month, and you need at least 10 inches to donate.
“Anytime you donate, you definitely feel good,” Baer said. There are many people in the world who need hair donations, so it makes me happy when they want to donate hair. ”
Streaker, an Orioles fan, was surprised and overjoyed to see the Oriole Bird mascot appear Wednesday night, making his 10th donation his most memorable yet.
“I’m really grateful to be here and do this and to be able to make people smile,” Streaker said.
Cindy Baer, owner of Cutting Edge Styling Studio in Frederick, styles Hannah Streaker’s hair. (Jeffrey F. Bill/Staff Photo)
Streaker first donated her hair when she was 4 years old. Her mother, Nicole, said that when Hannah was young, getting haircuts was a challenge.
Nicole said: “Getting hair cut was always a little difficult for Hannah, especially when she was younger, because she has autism and communication skills, so she couldn’t sit still. If we could just do it year after year and donate the hair to charity, it was a win-win.”
Her father, Carl Streaker, director of student services for Carroll County Public Schools, said hair donations help Hannah understand the challenges others face, develop empathy and want to help others. He said that it was also beneficial in that it helped him develop that feeling.
Carl said, “I think my daughter feels good about what she’s able to contribute, and how she can help people she knows and help her grow in that.” It’s a great thing for parents to help their children understand.”
Sports mascots are one of Hannah Streaker’s favorites, so when Oriole Bird arrived, she started crying as she hugged her beloved icon. “I was literally speechless,” she said.
Hannah Streaker said “I love you” to the mascot. “Will you marry me?”
Hanna said the Orioles’ performance got even better on Tuesday as they clinched a playoff berth and defeated the New York Yankees, his least favorite team.
The Streakers’ love for the Baltimore Orioles is evidenced by the family’s Orioles orange Jeep, which has a decal displaying the baseball team’s logo on the car’s window.
Nicole Streaker, a kindergarten teacher at Freedom Elementary School, said her experience with the oriole will stay with her for a long time.
“She definitely has big emotions,” Nicole said. “And sometimes it lasts a long time. This experience will stay with her forever.”
Hannah said she loved her new hairstyle and was looking forward to showing it off to her colleagues and telling them about her encounter with the oriole. Streaker works as a server at Martin’s grocery store in Eldersburg, where her duties include cleaning the register and bagging groceries. She also studies digital art at Carroll Community College, and her favorite thing to draw is the Orioles mascot.
Carl Streaker said donating her hair gives her daughter a sense of purpose.
“This also gives her perspective on the challenges that other people have,” he said. “For her, knowing that other people have challenges and how they overcome them is a big deal to her as she navigates many of her own,” and the larger community. How do we help each other? She can help by doing this and other people can help her too, and I think it gives her a really great perspective on things. ”
Hannah said she loves the world and loves helping others. “We need friendlier people in the world. … People have to be better people and do some good for the world.”
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