VALDOSTA — The life of Victoria Newsome continues to inspire others as a local first grade student donates her hair to the Locks of Love Foundation.

Seven year-old Valwood student Cadee Hughes spoke to her first grade class Wednesday about why she chose to donate more than 10 inches of her hair to the National Locks of Love Foundation.

Hughes said she was inspired to grow her hair more than two years ago while watching Oprah Winfrey’s television show. During the show, Winfrey discussed the Locks of Love foundation, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 years and younger suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Hughes asked her mother if she could allow her hair, just below the ear at the time, to grow in order to be donated to children without hair. Hughes has been growing her hair to reach the 10 inch donation requirement by the organization.

“I wanted to do it because it helps children without hair. Sometimes they don’t even want to go to school because they are embarrassed, but Locks of Love will make a wig for them and they don’t have to be embarrassed about going to school,” Hughes said.

Hughes answered questions from students in Carol Selph’s first grade class about the Locks of Love Foundation.

She later showed the children the hair she planned to donate and described the process she went through.

“It has to be at least 10 inches, clean, and in a ponytail,” she told her classmates. Hughes hair had to then be placed in a padded envelope and shipped to the Locks of Love Foundation, in Lake Worth, Fla.

Hughes said that earlier this year while growing her hair, she had hoped to donate it to her schoolmate Victoria Newsome, who recently passed away from cancer. “If Victoria was still alive and she was picked to get my hair, I would have been happy,” she said.

Hughes said she does like her new haircut, but plans to keep donating to the foundation because it helps children. She also encouraged her classmates to consider it, saying, “Boys can even do it if they have long hair. Just put it in a ponytail, and go to the barber.”

Hughes went on to share her story with three more Valwood classes.

Rhonda Hammon, director of Valwood’s lower grades, also listened to Hughes speak with the class and later said the first grader’s donation fit perfectly into the school’s words of character for the week, caring and compassion.

To find out more about the Locks of Love Foundation, visit www.locksoflove.org.