CLARKSTON, Ga.--It’s a hair-raising event. Or would that be a hair-razor-ing event?
On Wednesday, March 1, at about 3:30 p.m., Georgia State University’s Perimeter College students will take a pair of shears to political science professor Bob King’s long locks to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
Students have dubbed the event, “God Shave the King.” For King, a professor on the Clarkston Campus, it’s been more than a year since he’s had a haircut, and he estimates his pony tail is about four inches long. That tail will be history by 4 p.m., Wednesday.
“I’m promised a crew cut,” he said.
This isn’t the first time King has bared his head to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. The project was hatched more than 10 years ago by members of the student History and Politics (HAP) Club, which he advises.
“Back then, I thought it would be a hoot to encourage folks to shave my hair as a fundraiser, but didn’t know anyone who had cancer,” King said. “Now, 10 years later, I know family members (his wife, Debra, is a breast cancer survivor), close friends and colleagues who have had cancer—and two who did not make it. So while the novelty of cutting my hair is still present, I think it represents a small sacrifice to remind me, and us, that many cancer patients lose a lot, not just their hair, going through their recovery.”
King and the HAP Club hope to raise $2,000 for American Cancer Society research. They are using the site Crowdwise for donations.