On Fairy Tale Day, this past month, the Dutch theme park, Efteling, celebrated the 25th anniversary of Rapunzel
To mark this milestone, 25 guests donated their braids to the Dutch Hair Foundation. It was a remarkable sight: five hairdressers were stationed in the heart of the Fairytale Forest, ready to cut the braids, reward the generous donors with a new hairstyle and present them with an official certificate.
The donated braids (totalling over 10 metres) will be used to help people who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment or hair disorders. In total, the hairdressers volunteered five hours of their time.
For 25 years, Rapunzel has let down her long braid from her tall tower so that the sorceress can visit her. In 2001, when the new fairytale was introduced, Efteling set out to find the longest braid in Europe.
This year, guests were invited to donate a braid of at least 30 cm to the Dutch Hair Foundation. Since the campaign launched on 8 June, almost a hundred guests registered, explaining why they wanted to donate their hair. The 25 guests whose braids were cut in the Fairytale Forest today are making a difference in someone else’s life through their donation.
Annelot Gent, a Dutch national living in Antwerp, donated a braid measuring 30 cm: “Just like Rapunzel, I turn 25 at the beginning of July, and I think it would be wonderful to donate my blonde hair to the Dutch Hair Foundation the day after my birthday. As a little girl, I was fascinated by the fairy tale and used to tell my hairdresser that I wanted ‘Rapunzel hair’. I think this is a beautiful initiative, and I hope my donation will bring happiness to someone who has lost their hair. It feels like everything has come full circle.”
Lou Gottenkieny, aged almost nine, from Enter in the Twente region of the Netherlands, donated her beautiful, thick hair to charity: “With my donation, I want to help other children and people who have lost their hair because of illness. A beautiful wig can help them feel confident again and bring back a smile to their faces. Being able to have my hair cut in Efteling’s Fairytale Forest makes this special moment even more magical. I’m happy that my hair can make a difference for someone else.”
Seven: A Fairytale Number
Every year, Efteling celebrates Fairy Tale Day on the seventh day of the seventh month, as the number seven is a fairytale number. Who does not know the seven little goats who outsmart the wolf, or the seven dwarfs who take Snow White into their home? Or think of the seven voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, or the seven-league boots that help Tom Thumb escape from the giant.
About the Dutch Hair Foundation
The supports anyone affected by hair problems or hair disorders. The foundation provides wigs free of charge to financially disadvantaged people who have lost their hair as a result of cancer treatment or hair disorders. It offers professional information, serves as a platform for peer support, and collects hair donations that are used to create wigs.
For more information, visit https://www.efteling.com
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