Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Ellie Mayer's contribution to aid pediatric cancer patients
Angie Mayer gives her daughter, Ellie, a new doo last Friday.
H-M-S Elementary teacher Molly Steinkamp gives Ellie Mayer a hug prior to her big haircut during Friday's cancer awareness event.
P.E. teacher Janet Prins holds up the bounty from Ellie Mayer's haircut – six long ponytails that were donated to Wigs For Kids.
Ellie Mayer knows how to get a crowd going.
With a buzzing gymnasium packed full of excited classmates, the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn second grader received the most-viewed haircut of her young life last Friday. Her mother, Angie Mayer, meticulously chopped off six ponytails that will be donated to Wigs For Kids, which provides hairpieces for pediatric cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Despite the big audience, Ellie wasn't nervous.
"I kinda wanted a short haircut when I saw my mommy's short hair," she said.
The big showcase was in honor of Ellie's grandma and Angie's mother, Joan Helmers, of Palmer, who is battling leukemia. Ellie vowed to lop her long hair if she could raise $1,500 to help with Helmers' medical expenses. She far exceeded that goal, raising around $3,000 before Friday's event.
The tally was bolstered by contributions from H-M-S students and staff, who donated $1,834 on Friday alone. The fundraiser was part of the elementary school's cancer awareness event held each fall to inform students about those battling the disease.
P.E. teacher Janet Prins helped organize the event and was proud of the support students and staff showed to Ellie's family. She had received a letter from the second grader earlier this year soliciting donations for her grandma, and she knew just what to do.
"When I read that letter, I thought there was only one thing we should do – make this our focus for this day," Prins told the crowd of elementary students on Friday. "You guys did awesome."
Ellie was slated to get her new doo styled by Trisha Pearson at Relax Salon in Hartley on Saturday. Her mother, who teaches at H-M-S Middle School, said she was touched by the outpouring of support her family has received in the last two months.
She was also beaming about her daughter's big heart.
"I'm really proud of her," Angie said. "I thought she just mostly wanted to do the hair, and then it was her idea actually to make people pay her to cut it off. I was proud of the entrepreneur that I have here."
