Freshman Ken Geiger of Maple Plain, Minnesota, used to have a full head of hair. But since Feb 10 he can no longer run his fingers through his wavy locks. Geiger participated in Cuts for Cancer, an event sponsored by Carleton’s Acting in the Community Together (ACT) office to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
Members of the Carleton community had several options for participation. Twenty people cut off at least ten inches of their hair, which will be donated to Locks of Love, a national organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss. Sixty other Carleton community members received haircuts, donating the money they would have paid for a haircut to CureSearch, a national organization that works to cure childhood cancer. Finally, several Carls set a price for their hair, asking friends to raise that amount of money before they shaved their heads.
This last brave act is what Geiger did. Hearing about Cuts for Cancer from a floormate, he set a price for his hair. If his friends raised $10, he would shave his beard. For every $10 that his friends could raise above that amount, he agreed to cut off an inch of his hair. Ultimately, he raised $65 and got a buzz cut.
“My favorite part of the experience was the actual head shaving,” says Geiger. “First, I was given a mullet, then a mohawk, then a top-knot, and finally, a heart, which was later dyed red for Valentine’s Day. I got a lot of pictures and was able to make a donation to charity.”
Student weren’t the only participants in this fundraising event. Northfield hairstylists from Buzz Salon, Ultimate Hair Care and Great Clips donated their time to give haircuts to Carleton community members for the cause of cancer research. Maureen Cashman, a hairstylist from Buzz Salon, says, “We’re always looking for ways to give back to the community.”
ACT surpassed its goal raising $1,521 in the daylong event. “Cuts for Cancer allows people to donate in the best way that they can,” says Erin Sterling, ACT’s educational associate and a 2005 Carleton graduate. “It provides many avenues for supporting cancer research.”
Nita, an Ultimate Hair Care stylist who volunteered half a day to the event, feels strongly about the search a cancer cure. “Everyone knows someone who has had cancer,” she says. “This is just my way of helping.”
