NEEDHAM -- Students at St. Joseph Elementary School in Needham are giving back in support of cancer patients.

For the 5th year, a record number of more than 30 St. Joseph School girls, and a Monsignor Haddad Middle School student, donated their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to help girls and women with cancer receive wigs, June 8.

At least eight inches of hair was donated by each girl, and, continuing their tradition, Avante Salon in Needham cut the girls' hair at no cost.

For the first time, St. Joseph School boys, eager to do their part, volunteered to shave their heads in the One Mission "Buzz Off" event, held June 4 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Over 30 boys and one student's father participated in the event, raising over $32,000 for the pediatric cancer charity One Mission.

"Serve each other and the world is one of the guiding principles of our mission statement, and I couldn't be more proud of the students and their compassion for others," said St. Joseph School principal Charlotte Kelly.

"Each year, more and more girls stand at my office door to sign up to donate their hair. After watching from the sidelines over the years, I was impressed when the boys asked what they could do! The St. Joe's students are truly special," she said.