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May 26, 2026
At Wigs For Kids, we are continually inspired by the compassion and creativity of the communities who support our mission. This spring, Connect Academy in Carol Stream, Illinois, turned one powerful act of kindness into a schoolwide movement, raising critical funds, donating hair, and teaching students what it truly means to give back.
The heart of this story begins with Kellie Krefft, a speech-language pathologist at Connect Academy who has faced cancer not once, but three times. Despite the emotional and physical challenges of her journey, Kellie has continued to show up for her students with unwavering dedication.
When Kellie made the difficult decision to share her diagnosis, she was met with overwhelming support from colleagues and students alike. That support only grew stronger as her journey continued.
Her strength became a catalyst for something extraordinary.
Inspired by Kellie’s resilience, teacher Glenn Powell decided it was time to act. For six years, Glenn had been growing his hair with the goal of donating it, but he wanted the moment to mean more.
Together, Glenn and Kellie turned a personal milestone into a community-wide effort: “The Big Chop,” a live hair donation event paired with a fundraiser benefiting Wigs For Kids.
On April 13, in front of students and staff, Glenn’s long-awaited haircut became a powerful symbol of compassion in action. His hair, cut by students and his sister Megan, a professional hairstylist, will help create a hair replacement system for a child experiencing hair loss, given at no cost to the family.
Connect Academy didn’t stop at Glenn’s haircut. They transformed the event into a meaningful learning experience for their students.
Through a schoolwide assembly, students learned:
The event blended celebration and purpose, from engaging activities to the emotional moment of the hair donation itself, giving students a firsthand look at kindness in action.
Before the cut, Glenn shared with the assembled students, “Strength isn’t what you do in the gym, or what you do on the mat. Strength is what you do when you’re faced with adversity or faced with hard times. Kelly, you’ve been so resilient and you’ve refused to give in to your circumstances. That’s what true strength is.”
As Connect Academy President Heather Bruen shared, the event reflected the school’s values: caring deeply for one another and extending that care into the larger community. She shared, “‘The Chop’ was a powerful reflection of who we are. We care for one another like family, we show up for the children we serve, and in this moment, we were able to extend that same care beyond our walls to children who will benefit from Wigs For Kids.”
What started as one teacher’s decision quickly grew into a powerful movement. Reflecting on the day, Glenn shared, “It was the most amazing, joyful, and beautiful thing I’ve ever been a part of. It was like we were one big family, just happy to be sharing a moment with one another. The hair and the money will go to a wonderful cause and change the lives of some very special kids. It was that type of day, a day that we will all remember and forever share.”
Glenn’s fundraiser, full of community support and boosted by a generous matching donation made by Connect Academy, has raised over $10,000, providing high-quality hairpieces to children facing medical hair loss, giving them confidence, comfort, and a sense of normalcy during dificult times.
“The Big Chop” was more than a fundraiser. It was a reminder of what’s possible when a community rallies together with purpose.
It was:
And most importantly, it will have a lasting impact on the children served by Wigs For Kids.
The Connect Academy community has shown that one act of kindness can spark something far greater. You can be part of that ripple effect, too.
Every donation, every hair contribution, and every shared story helps us continue providing life-changing support to children who need it most.
Together, we can keep turning compassion into confidence, one child at a time.
Stories like this are only possible because of a community that believes no child should face hair loss alone.
Whether you donate hair, support our program financially, or partner with us as a stylist, you become part of a child’s journey toward confidence and self‑acceptance.
At Wigs For Kids, we don’t just provide wigs.
We help children feel like themselves again.
Thanks to support from both hair and financial donors, we helped more than 1,000 kids in 2025 receive free wigs, and we’re on track to help even more children in 2026!
Start a fundraising event in your community, inspire others to grow and give, and help us reach even more kids this year!
If you are a stylist interested in helping our children, please click here for more information.
If you are interested in donating your hair, please click here for more information.
For recipient stories, please click here.
For more ways to support Wigs For Kids, please click here.
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