Women often feel the need for a new look in the springtime, and 14 military spouses of Ellsworth Air Force Base's 28th Operations Group are putting this theory into practice by cutting their hair and donating it to the Locks of Love organization at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, at Planet Hair Salon in Rapid City.

Jill Keim, one of the Ops Group spouses, said she has never had long hair before, but about a year ago, over lunch with some girlfriends from the base, the idea was born. "What better incentive to grow your hair long than to cut it off for a worthy cause?" she said.

She said she has been "pitching the idea to new squadron spouses" all year long, and 14 women have appointments at Planet Hair on Wednesday. According to Keim, hairdressers from other salons in Rapid City are coming to join those at Planet Hair to cut hair for the event. The spouses are planning to show off their new hairdos at an event at Ellsworth Air Force Base on Friday, March 7.

Three of the women from the group, including Keim, are pregnant, and she believes that is an "exciting time to cut your hair off," because so many other changes are occurring. For one of the participants, Leilani Pavlik, this is the third time she has cut her hair for Locks of Love. According to Keim, to donate to Locks of Love, participants must have hair length of 10 inches or more.

Locks of Love is a not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18. Most of the applicants suffer from an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata, for which there is no known cause or cure. Others may have suffered from severe burns and injuries or endured radiation treatments to the brain stem or other dermatological conditions that resulted in permanent hair loss. To date, more than 2,000 children have been helped, and Locks of Love has recipients in all 50 states and Canada.

According to the Locks of Love Web site, "this program helps to restore these youths' self-esteem and confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers."

Keim said the retail cost of a hairpiece ranges from $3,500 to $6,000. The cost to sponsor one Locks of Love recipient is $1,000.

Keim isn't sure what haircut she'll end up with on Wednesday.

"My husband likes the one worn by Julia Stiles (from "The Bourne Ultimatum" movie), and I kind of like what Katie Holmes is doing with her hair now. All I know for sure is that it will be really short!"