CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The "Select Your Crown" event is returning to Clarksville for the second year to make and give away 200 custom wigs for women and children experiencing hair loss from chemotherapy and alopecia.
In 2021, Select Your Crown donated 100 custom wigs to 50 women and 50 children. Markeisha Wardell said she founded Select Your Crown in an effort to restore confidence.
"Your hair is your crown... This is for that woman who's trying to find themselves, and who's trying to regain their confidence and who's trying to figure out, 'how do I navigate these waters of me going from hair down the middle of my back to I'm completely bald today,'" explained Wardell.
For the 2022 event at the crowning ceremony on November 6, she partnered with women who provide free services for those with cancer and alopecia — such as eyebrow restoration — women who specialize in fitness for those recovering from chemotherapy, and more. There will also be a performance by a Grammy award-winning artist.
Wardell said she just wants these women and children to know they're more than their circumstances.
"It’s a day of uplifting and pouring back into one another. These women scan the room and realize they’re not alone in their battle, whether it's stage four cancer or alopecia. They realize there’s more support out here than they thought," Wardell said.
Custom wigs like the ones Wardell and her small team make for the Select Your Crown event would cost more than most can afford.
"Everyone who would come in couldn't necessarily afford a quality wig, because we do very high in quality wigs starting at like, $400 and up, you know? So, it really hurt my heart that I couldn't get everyone a wig," she said.
That reality propelled her to grow the offering for 2022.
"Send your ‘before picture’ in, and then your ‘after,’ so we are literally customizing these wigs to be as close to how you were and how you looked previously to your condition," said Wardell. "It joys my heart to go back and just seeing the smile on people's faces and knowing that this is really going to uplift someone."
To nominate someone for a free, custom wig, send in your nomination on her website by October 31.
