“WIGS FOR KIDS DAY AT THE ZOO" this Saturday (July 27) To Help Children with Severe Hair Loss

CLEVELAND - July 22, 2013 - PRLog -- The 8^th annual “Wigs for Kids Day at the Zoo” will feature costumed volunteers from “Super Heroes to Kids in Ohio” in addition to its traditional 5K run, one-mile walk, and hair cut-a-thon.  The event will be held rain or shine on Saturday, July 27, at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way.  

Wigs for Kids, headquartered in Westlake, Ohio is a national non-profit organization that provides customized, human-hair replacement systems at no charge for children experiencing severe hair loss due to chemotherapy, radiation, alopecia, burns, accidents, or other medical circumstances.

Wigs for Kids Founder, President and CEO Jeffrey Paul said, “Our mission is to help children with severe hair loss ‘look themselves and live their lives’ again.  Everyone who supports us is a hero, so we thought it would be great to have costumed super heroes there as well!”

Among the superheroes portrayed will be American Dream, Captain America, Cat Woman, Thor, Valkyrie, Wolverine, and Wonder Woman.  

Noting that the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and the 2013 National Senior Games have helped to promote the Wigs for Kids Day at the Zoo, Paul said, “Since our event is an intergenerational event that encourages fitness for people of all ages, we were invited to make two presentations on the main stage of the Senior Games ‘Celebration Village’ at the Convention Center. This has helped us inform senior athletes and other visitors to the Village about Wigs for Kids in general and the event at the Zoo in particular.”

Registration for each walker or runner is $20 in advance ($10 for children 10 years old or younger) or $25 after 9 a.m. on July 26 or on the day of the event. Spectators can attend for $10, and attendees who will donate their hair at the event can enter for free.  All attendees get refreshments and a free day at the Zoo and Rain Forest.  Walkers and runners also get a complimentary T-shirt and race bag.  Registration begins at 7 a.m.; announcements at the starting line at 8:15; the 5K run at 8:30; and the one-mile walk at 8:35 for walking team members and at 8:40 for families and individual walkers.

WKYC TV-3 news reporter Jennifer Lindgren will emcee.  Mark Roozen, a strength and conditioning coach for over 25 years at the high school, college and professional level (including with the Cleveland Browns), will demonstrate how to avoid running injuries, and jazzercise instructors will lead warm-up exercises.  The event also will include “Dream Entertainment” disc jockey Jeff Edwards, a “Kids Zone,” face painting, and clowns.  Halle Ladd Photography will take studio-quality photos of attendees of all ages (next to “super heroes” if requested) for free-will donations to Wigs for Kids.

Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of America is the event’s signature sponsor.  Other major sponsors include: Chick-fil-A, which will provide sandwiches and other refreshments; and “The Fish” Radio (95.5 FM), with “Team Fish” to take part in the event.  Stylists from La Barberia Institute and Salon, located in Cleveland’s “Little Italy,” will provide free styling for hair donors.

Organizers have designed the day to leave ample time to explore the Zoo and Rain Forest.  The closing portion of the program begins at 9:30 in the pavilion and runs about an hour. During that time, the winners of the 5K run will be announced, and then some special Wigs for Kids hair donors and wig recipients will be honored and briefly interviewed.  

Among the wig recipients to be recognized are Leah Johns, 11, of Parma, and Nicole Velez, 16, of Euclid.  The mothers of both girls said the wigs made a major positive difference in their daughters’ self-esteem and outlook on life.

Due to a rare condition called “Loose Anagen Follicle Syndrome,” Leah’s follicles aren’t strong enough to keep her hair from falling out after it grows beyond a quarter-inch.  She got her first wig at age 5, and she recently was fitted for her 6^th one.  About 40 of her relatives and friends have formed “Team Leah,” and will walk and run on July 27^th at the Zoo in her honor.  

Nicole got her first wig at age 4, and has received 11 more since then.  She has a condition called Alopecia Totalis, and has just a few very small patches of hair on her head, tiny eyelashes, and no eyebrows.  Her family has also organized a team in her honor.  

For more information, including pre-registering and a detailed schedule for the July 27^th event, call 440.333-4433, go to the Wigs for Kids website at http://www.wigsforkids.org, its Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SupportWigsForKids, or email msokol@wigsforkids.org.