Kids Sporting Pink Streaks in Support of Fellow Student Injured in Accident

Often, when a person dyes a bright pink streak in their hair, they are supporting breast cancer awareness. In and , however, that streak has taken on a local meaning, becoming an outpouring of community support for a local girl who was injured in a car accident earlier this week.

On Wednesday night, about 20 boys and girls went to in Minooka to get a bright pink streak in their hair in support of 13-year-old Channahon student Kelsey Little, who was Sunday. Charges have been filed against the driver involved in the accident. Minooka Police Chief Justin Meyers said the hospital is reporting that Kelsey is stable and improving every day.

One of Kelsey's best friends, eighth grader Alexis Gore was there Wednesday night in support of Kelsey.

"Kelsey's favorite color is pink so we decided to get pink streaks for her," Alexis said, as two foils and dye turned pieces of her blonde hair pink.

In addition to pink streaks, students at area schools, as far away as Joliet Catholic Academy, wore pink as a sign of support Tuesday.

It's unclear whose original idea it was to do the pink streaks, but it is clear that word spread like wildfire. There were posts to Facebook, tweets and texts that brought students out en masse. One of the people spreading the word was not a student at all. Kerstin DeKlerk, of Minooka, is a hairstylist at the salon. She had done Kelsey's hair before and helped spread the word about the pink streaks. She admits that the roughly 20 students who showed up were more than she expected, but said the show of support is no surprise to her.

"It amazes some people, but this is just what we do," DeKlerk said.

And the support does not end there. One of Kelsey's former teachers at , Christina McCabe ordered pink and black bracelets for Kelsey that say, "Little, but strong." To order a bracelet, email McCabe at cmccabe@csd17.org.