(WIVT/WBGH) – Many people grew out their hair during the pandemic, and one of them, a West Middle School student, is finally chopping it off for a good cause.

Ethan Gomez is a 7th grader at West Middle and has been growing his hair out for three years now.

Today, he had an appointment at the Hair Kitchen in the Oakdale Commons and cut off over 13 inches.

He stored it in a bag, and will be donating it to Wigs for Kids, an organization that makes wigs for children who are experiencing hair loss due to medical reasons.

Gomez says that his donation will be in honor of both of his grandmothers, who lost their lives to cancer.

Student at West Middle School, Ethan Gomez says, “It all started in the pandemic. When i couldn’t get a regular haircut, I thought of my grandmothers, whom we lost to cancer, and decided to grow my hair out and donate it. I do this, to adjust my hair, but now it’s just shorter so it’s weird. It’s a weird feeling.”

Gomez says that both his mom and older sister recently donated their locks as well.

He says, now that it’s cut, he plans on growing it out for another three years and donating again.