RIVER RIDGE – A group of local volunteers are spending hours upon hours on a labor of love after an Alaska woman created a special head of hair for her daughter battling cancer.
Dozens of women and high school girls gather at the new Jefferson Parish River Ridge library to crochet together yarn wigs and superhero caps for children who have lost their hair during a battle with cancer.
In one, two-hour session recently, the group produced 67 superhero beanie caps from the Ninja Turtles to Batman and Spiderman.
So, how did this group of dedicated women start the project? Well, it began as the brainchild of an Alaskan woman named Holly Christensen, who created a Disney-character Rapunzel wig made of yarn for a friend’s daughter who had lost her hair to cancer treatment.
Traditional wigs for little girls can be itchy and irritating. The yarn wigs are soft and magical. The story exploded on social media, leading Christensen to start the Magic Yarn Project. Now volunteers all over the United States are creating wigs and caps for the children.
To date, nearly 9,300 wigs and caps have gone to children in more than 40 countries in three years.
The wigs are made completely by volunteers and, thanks to donations, are completely free for the children.
Another Holly, a local lady from River Ridge, heard about the project and immediately organized a local group to take on the challenge of making wigs and caps.
“It’s wonderful,” said Holly Hobbs Martin. “I mean, when you read these wig requests, your heart just breaks and you stop doing everything you’re doing and you make that wig.”
In six weeks, the Jefferson Parish group has made 70 wigs and caps.
“It’s a labor of love,” said Hobbs Martin.
The group includes high school students, who initially took on the gig to earn high school service hours, but who have continued the work.
“One of them lives two doors down,” said Hobbs Martin. “She’s going to do a wig a week.”
While the girl patients had a choice of a number of princesses, the boys only had Jack Sparrow. That’s when Hobbs Martin decided to take on making superhero caps.
The women say the work is exciting, powerful and emotional – words not necessarily associated with crocheting, but this assembly line of love has creativity with a special purpose.