First she wanted to collect soda-can tabs for the children at the Ronald McDonald House. Now she's growing her hair to be donated for kids with cancer.
Even though she's only 6, Annalise Lujan is a budding philanthropist. Two years ago, she began collecting pop tabs after she overheard her uncle asking her mom to save them to help pay for someone's medical treatment.
Annalise then started wearing a bracelet and a necklace made with a nylon string and pop tabs and asked people to collect the tabs for her. Eight months later, on April 18, 2010, Annalise celebrated her fifth birthday with a visit to the Ronald McDonald House on North Campbell Avenue to deliver more than 70,000 pop tabs.
This year, for her sixth birthday, she delivered a similar number of pop tabs, said her mother, Maryann Estrada Lujan. She collects pop tabs year-round.
"I'm very proud of Annalise and all her accomplishments on how she wants to help other kids," said Estrada.
Annalise, who'll be starting first grade, is part of the school's student council and she's persuaded members and students to collect the pop tabs.
But that's not enough. After talking to her sister Arianna Lujan, 15, about people donating their hair, she decided to grow her hair, too. "The medicine sometimes can make the kids' hair fall off," she said.
Annalise's hair is 12 inches long, enough to be cut and donated to the Locks of Love program, which makes wigs for children living with cancer. She's eager for her hair salon appointment on Aug. 9, when she'll donate her hair. "So after that, I'm going to start again letting my hair grow," she said.
Annalise plans to be a doctor, cook and a teacher when she grows up.
Did you know
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona is a nonprofit agency that provides a "home away from home" for more than 700 families a year of children who are seriously ill or injured.
SOURCE: rmhctucson.org
Contact reporter Mariana Alvarado at 573-4597 or malvarado@azstarnet.com
