For just over ten years now, Scott Hartnell of the Philadelphia Flyers has made a name for himself in the NHL by being one of the toughest players in the game who isn’t afraid to drop the gloves, yet still knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. Aside from that, players and fans all over the league have been able to recognize Hartnell because of the massive amount of hair that pours from his helmet each night. For the past three years Scott Hartnell has allowed his hair to continue growing and the fans in Philadelphia have grown to like it. They started a home-game campaign to give away Hartnell look-alike wigs, as well as a Facebook page dedicated primarily to his hair. Now, Hartnell’s golden locks have become nothing but a memory to the fans and players of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Scott Hartnell cut his hair for the first time in three years to donate it to Locks of Love; a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in North America under the age of 21 who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. They take donated hair and create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children that Locks of Love help out have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata; which has no known cause or cure.
Hartnell joked around in an interview with Flyers.com regarding what they had to use to cut his hair, “Some hedge clippers, some weed whackers and a shovel to pick it all up afterwards,” he said.
Locks of Love’s mission is to return a sense of self-confidence and normalcy to children who are suffering from hair loss by using donated ponytails to provide only the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children will either receive the hair prostheses for free or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.
Scott Hartnell’s mother suffered a stroke during his rookie season so he understands what it’s all about to give a helping hand. He is now the Chairman of the Beard for the NHL’s Beard-A-Thon, where he helps raise money and awareness for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and has a goal to get Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in hockey rinks, schools and community centres in provinces all across Canada. Heart and Stroke Foundation also has a goal to make Canada the most cardiac safe country in the world since studies have shown that you can increase survival by 75% with the use of an AED and not having to wait for Emergency Services to arrive on scene.
As a Nashville Predator, Scott Hartnell holds two franchise records; one for the fastest two goals scored by an individual (23 seconds) and a franchise record for career penalty minutes (544). He spent six seasons with the organization before being traded to Philadelphia where he became an instant fan favourite for both his play on the ice and the hair on his head. Now Hartnell is making a lot more noise off the ice, especially with the NHL Beard-A-Thon heading into its third consecutive season. He has shown athletes and people around the world that no matter how tough you think you are, there are children around the world suffering from worse things than a pay cut or being benched and they need the money and attention a lot more than the athletes do.
To learn more about Locks of Love, visit http://www.locksoflove.org/.
To learn more about the Beard-A-Thon, visit http://beardathon.ca/english/team.aspx.
To learn more about the Heart and Stroke Foundation, visit http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.2796497/k.BF8B/Home.htm?src=home.
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