COPE didn't start with a plan. It started in 2015, when Ava Tilak, then six years old, cut off her hair to give to a child who needed it more. She kept giving for years, and in 2024 she turned that habit into COPE.
Where it started
At age six, Ava donated 8+ inches of hair to Children with Hair Loss, so a child who needed it could have a wig.
Doing it again
Another 8+ inches, donated to Children with Hair Loss. One donation had turned into a habit.
Ten inches and more
Ava grew her hair out again and cut off 10+ inches to donate to another child.
Big-hearted and smiling
Each time she gave, she saw how many people wanted to help too, if someone showed them how.
Still giving
Another donation, and a growing idea: what if her friends and community could do this together?
The Cut-a-Thon
Ava's one-person habit became a community event. Members and neighbors donated their hair together at COPE's Cut-a-Thon. COPE has now donated 12 sets of hair for wigs.