Two local girls decided to do something useful with their long tresses instead of letting them fall to the salon floor and be swept into the trash bin.

Fifth grader Joanne Mietzner and sixth grader Caitlin Fowler each donated one foot of silky hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

“It’s nice that it’s actually getting used instead of hanging off my body and making it hard to brush in the morning,” said Mietzner, who began growing her hair a year ago. She now sports a stylish bob.

“I didn’t even recognize Joanne when she came in (after her haircut),” said Orcas School K-8 principal Kyle Freeman. “It’s awesome.”

Fowler says she has always had long locks, but then had an urge to lop them all off.

The two friends were originally growing their hair independently of each other, and were delighted when they discovered their common goal.

Both girls had their manes cut by Mandy Nigretto at Mandy’s Hair Haven. Nigretto says she will take care of sending the hair to Locks of Love for anyone who wants to donate.

“Unfortunately, I don’t do it enough,” said Nigretto when asked how often she cuts hair for Locks of Love. “I’ve done it about six times for people … I will print out the form and send the hair in. It’s easier that way. And then I know it gets there.”

Mietzner and Fowler say they prefer their hair short because it’s easier to manage, but they plan to grow it long again to donate.

Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses they provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

“All of my friends want to do it now,” Fowler said. “It’s really fun, and after you get your hair cut, it feels way different.”