Donations from salon, intended for wigs for sick patients, are salvaged by a hair's breadth

GASTONIA, N.C. - Donations of human hair, used by a charity to make wigs for children who lose their hair due to illness, had to be fished out of the trash after being accidentally thrown away.

Multiple media outlets reported that someone found a box of 100 hair donations in a trash bin behind a Great Clips hair salon in Gastonia, North Carolina, earlier this week. The donations came from customers who got their hair cut for charity.

Wigs for Kids Executive Director Jeffery Paul said he found out about the incident Wednesday.

Great Clips spokesman Paul Omodt says someone cleaning the shop accidentally threw away the box.

Great Clips salvaged most of the ponytails and said it would donate $5,000 to the Wigs for Kids charity.