The group kicked off Cancer Awareness Week -- Sept. 23-26 -- at Cat's Cradle with Weekend Excursion and Carbon Leaf playing to a sold-out crowd Friday night.
CCF members has made the week an important part of their organization since it was founded, said senior Jamie Shuster, president of the organization.
Junior Wallace Simpson, education chairman of CCF, was in charge of organizing Cancer Awareness Week. "The purpose of the week is to encourage the student body to become more aware of a disease that can directly or indirectly affect everyone," he said.
Students are invited to participate in each of the events being held this week.
Shuster and 32 other women have signed up to have their hair cut off at noon Friday in the Pit. Students who would like to donate their hair must have at least 10 inches to spare.
Senior Amanda Stilley, president of the Panhellenic Council, was approached by a member of the Locks of Love organization and encouraged to have her hair cut for the program.
Stilley said she recently found out that someone her family knows well has cancer so she felt compelled to help out. "I can grow my hair back out, but she can't," she said. "This is for a great cause, and I can't think of of another reason I would cut my hair."
But students don't have to chop their hair off to be involved.
On Monday, volunteers made Halloween decorations for the local Ronald McDonald House. The decorations will be delivered to the house Oct. 11.
Today, students will tour the women and children's wing of the hospital at 4 p.m. The group will meet in the Pit at 3:40 p.m. and then walk over to the hospital together.
Later in the evening, students will talk with fellow undergraduates who survived cancer. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Union 224.
On Wednesday, students will meet in the Pit between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to sign up for the annual Hooker 5K, which is being held Oct. 5.
Also Wednesday, students will make luminaries for the Luminary Ceremony being held at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Pit.
"This will be a brief ceremony to honor those we've lost to cancer and those who are still struggling with the disease," Simpson said.
Cancer Awareness Week will end on Friday when the Locks of Love volunteers have their hair cut.
All proceeds will benefit the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center.
The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.
