Rockland resident honored for work with Locks of Love group

With his shock of shoulder-length red hair, full red beard and engaging personality, facilities management landscaper/truck driver Mark Dalton of Rockland is readily recognized as he works with his grounds crew mates to beautify and maintain the pristine Boston College campus.

But there’s a reason for Dalton’s trademark long tresses — during the past 12 years he has repeatedly grown, cut and donated his thick, red mane to “Locks of Love,” a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces and wigs to children with cancer and other diseases who have lost their own hair while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

Dalton has grown his hair out to the required donation length of 10 inches five separate times—the process takes about two full years—before getting it braided, clipped off and sent to the “Locks of Love” headquarters in Florida. Over the years that he has been growing out and gifting his own hair, Dalton has also enticed several other donors, including his own two daughters, to donate their long curls to this worthwhile endeavor.

In recognition of this ongoing effort, Dalton has been named winner of the University’s 2010 Community Service Award, given each year to an employee whose actions exemplify the Jesuit spirit of service to others. University President William P. Leahy, SJ presented the award to Dalton at a special recognition dinner on June 2.

“Mark is a terrific worker and he has a heart of gold,” said Grounds Maintenance Manager James Slattery, noting that Dalton’s generosity and good will extend far beyond the hair donations. “If anybody on the grounds department has a child who gets sick, Mark will be the first one to take up a collection and send the child a get-well gift. He does that all the time. When one of our workers died recently, Mark went above and beyond the call of duty in helping out his widow.”

Dalton—who for most of his life wore a military-type crew-cut as his hairstyle of choice—says that he became involved with “Locks of Love” when his niece donated her hair to the charity a dozen years ago.

“I started thinking that only about one in 100 people have red hair,” Dalton said. “I thought, ‘Aw, I could give $50 to the cause, but you know, I think I will let my hair grow and see how it goes.’

“As it happened, one of my co-workers had a daughter who was undergoing cancer treatment, and one day I told him what I was doing. I know it meant a lot to him. I’m not one who looks for any personal accolades. But it’s nice that when people know what I am doing they respond in a positive way…Cancer touches everyone. We all know someone who is suffering from it.”

Dalton also helps out in the Boston College Police auction each spring, lending his outgoing and colorful personality to boost the bidding at an event that raises money for children’s cancer funds. Each December, Dalton gets a call to dress as Santa Claus for the annual Alumni Association Holiday party held at Alumni House. He  will even tint his hair and beard white for the day and spend hours entertaining and talking with children of BC alumni and employees who attend the festivities each year.

“We all struggle a little bit, but that’s life,” says Dalton, who was nominated by more than three dozen employees, including senior administrators. “One of the greatest things that my mother ever taught me was ‘Kill them with kindness.’ At the end of the day, you will always be a better person for it.”