By Carol Stiffler
Felicity Kuehl is a brave little second grader. The daughter of Kyle and Caitlynn Kuehl, Felicity had been growing out her long brown hair for almost all of her life. She’d had just one six-inch trim.
She thought it might be time for another, but wanted to make some good come of it.
Felicity decided to donate the trimmings to Wigs for Kids, and upped the ante: For $100 an inch, she’d donate up to 22 inches of her hair. She aimed to raise $2,200, all of which would be given to her school, Three Lakes Academy in Curtis.
That’s three layers of good: Hair for kids like those honey blonde wigs, money for her school, and a fresh haircut for Felicity.
In a matter of weeks, pledges had exceeded the goal. Felicity raised $3,021 in donations and got her long brown hair cut on Wednesday, May 31.
Felicity, a gentle and courageous girl, sat bravely in the cafeteria of the school while students in each class lined up on the floor to watch. She told schoolmates that she’d wanted a haircut and wanted to help the school and people, too.
Valerie Winkelhorst, owner of 3207 Hair Design in Newberry, carefully measured and separated Felicity’s hair into four parts. Classmates cheered and clapped as the pieces came off one by one.
It was an honor, Winkelhorst said.
“It’s a very caring and unselfish thing for kids to do,” Winkelhorst said. “And she’ll inspire other kids to do it, now that she did it in front of everyone.”
Winkelhorst attends Trinity Lutheran Church in Newberry, which is pastored by Felicity’s father, Kyle Kuehl. Winkelhost watched as Felicity’s hair grew longer and longer after her family moved to town.
“She used to have bangs, and I used to give her bangs a cut all the time, until she grew them out,” Winkelhorst said. Winkelhorst said Felicity’s new chin-length hair is soft and slightly wavy.
Three Lakes Academy Principal Rachel Bommarito said Felicity’s act was very impressive.
“It was really a selfless act,” Bommarito said. “I was really impressed that someone so young would have such a cool idea, and to be thinking about so many other people when coming up with this.”
Donations are still trickling in for Felicity’s fundraiser, Bommarito said, even though she’s already exceeded her goal.
Bommarito hasn’t earmarked the funds for anything yet. She wants to ask Felicity what her vision was and try to make the funds match her purpose.
“We need a new bus,” Bommarito said. “That’s a big expense coming up. But I want to check with Felicity to see what she wanted.”
