Troy students raise hair, money for Wings

Guidance counselor Kelly Palmer has a new hairstyle and Wings of Lincoln County is nearly $4,000 richer following Troy High School's second annual fundraiser for the cancer patient support organization.

Last year, students from grades seven through 12 raised just over $2,600 for Wings. The fundraiser was a competition between each grade level to see who could raise the most money over a two-week period. For a prize, the winning group got to shave Palmer's head.

Palmer is no stranger to cancer: his own mother is a cancer survivor.

"When Mom got sick, it just sort of clicked that this would be a good thing to do," Palmer said. "She's beaten cancer, but it made me aware of how others are still fighting it, and we could do something to help those who live here with their fight against this terrible disease."

The event was so successful that area adults pitched in and raised the total (after the competition was complete) to just over $2,900. When the counting was done last year, the eighth-grade class won the competition and shaved Palmer bald.

Fast forward to the present: a bald head is passe, and records were meant to be broken. This year, the goals were set a little higher. If a total of $3,000 was raised, the winning class would have the opportunity to shave Palmer's head and leave a Mohawk that would be dyed hot pink. For $3,500, the winners could create a hot pink Mohawk plus shave off Palmer's moustache and goatee. Eyebrows were offered at $250 apiece.

With vigor, the students went to work. Piggybanks were emptied, allowances donated, funds solicited from parents, grandparents, neighbors and employers. For two weeks, money was counted and running totals announced daily, so students would know how they were faring compared to other classes.

On Friday, March 24, the competition deadline arrived. When the final tally was complete, the students and staff of Troy High School had collected $3,825.82 for Wings. The staff raised the largest amount of money with just under $800 donated. However, since the staff have jobs, cries of "foul play" and "no fair" became so overwhelming that a hasty decision was made to allow the runners-up the privilege of wielding the clippers. With just under $700 to their credit, the sophomores were declared victorious.

Spring break delayed the completion of the event for a week, but on Tuesday, April 4, students and staff gather in the THS auditorium. Student body president Jed Nussbaum presented Wings of Lincoln County Troy co-chairwomen Judy Orr and Bonnie Price with a cashier's check. Then, sophomores Teresa Wagner, Katie Hibbs and Brittney Hammrich deftly removed Palmer's left eyebrow, moustache, goatee, and the bulk of his hair. After school, Misty Yeadon of The Cutting Crew donated her services to bleach, then dye, a hot-pink Mohawk.

"I'm extremely proud of our students." Palmer said. "These kids really got behind this program two years in a row. It's pretty humbling to see how sacrificially many of these students gave to help out those in our area who are receiving cancer treatment."

The annual Wings Walk occurs each year in May. At that time, volunteers go "door to door" to collect funds to help those who qualify receive assistance for transportation to and from their cancer treatments — often trips to Kalispell, Couer d'Alene, or even Spokane.

"It's my hope that the adults in our community will be inspired by what the kids have accomplished," Palmer said. "We don't want the Troy High School Wings fundraiser to replace a penny given to Wings in their usual May Wings Walk. Rather, I'm hoping it will serve as a catalyst for others in our community to reach out and help their neighbors through this worthy organization."