A pair of Winona Health coworkers creatively braided a plan to 1. engage staff, residents, and coworkers in a fun activity; 2. donate their hair; and 3. raise money for the Winona Health Foundation’s new Memory Care Fund.

Linda Atkinson, senior services administrator, and Leah Dufault, information systems application leader, gave Lake Winona Manor residents and their Winona Health co-workers the opportunity to cut a lock of their hair in exchange for a donation to the Memory Care Fund.

“When one on my coworkers brought her clippers and wanted to leave nothing but my eyebrows, I started to question whether this was such a good idea,” laughed Atkinson.

At the designated time on Tuesday, July 9, a crowd gathered around and lined up to take their turn with the shears.

“I feel like we’re lined up for the dollar dance,” joked a male coworker from the facilities team. This drew quite a laugh from the many Lake Winona Manor residents gathered to get in on the fun.

The activity raised $436 for the Winona Health Foundation’s Memory Care Fund to support life enriching memory care services.

Atkinson and Dufault each donated 10 inches of their hair to an organization called Children with Hair Loss, a non-profit organization that provides human hair replacements at no cost to children and young adults facing medically-related hair loss.

To learn more about Winona Health, visit winonahealth.org. To contribute to the Winona Health Foundation Memory Care Fund, send a gift to: Winona Health Foundation, 855 Mankato Ave., Winona, MN 55987, or call 507.494.7384.

Long locks before…

Leah and Linda after the cutting.