Preparing the hair for donation
Kevin Lapp was all smiles while his signature locks were formed into four long braids to be clipped for donation to Cuts for Cancer.    O’Donohue photo

Michelle O’Donohue
Record Contributor

O’Donohue photo

CRYSLER – At the end of a busy weekend of festivities for the Carnival, the celebrations wrapped up Sunday evening with a spaghetti dinner at the Crysler Community Centre. Excitement and anticipation were high in the room as guests waited to see what the final fundraising total for the weekend would be. There were big stakes on the line depending on the final total. Kevin Lapp, Crylser local and proprietor of Lapp Construction, offered up his long locks to bolster the weekend’s fundraising efforts. The Carnival poster promised, “Firefighters must raise $1,000 for his ponytail or $4,000 and it all goes!” As diners finished their meals, Carnival Coordinator Danielle Linnett announced the final totals. Linnett advised that $2,810 had been raised through online donations to the Cancer Society and an additional $3,212 was raised through cash donations for the ODR in Crysler raised through the firefighters and Tony’s Rockathon, for a combined total of $6,022, well over the $4,000 goal.

Lapp’s hair was prepared into four long braids for donation to Cuts for Cancer, and Lapp’s wife Laurel had the honour of the first cut. The braids were removed and stored for donation, and the right to shave Lapp’s head was auctioned off as a final booster to the fundraising. Roger Lafrance added $200 to the pot and had the first turn with the razor. Jean Guy Labelle, who insisted the cut needed to be just a bit shorter, followed Lafrance adding another $200 to the tally. After the event, Linnett advised that she was still getting last minute donations in, so the final tally was expected to increase further. The last person to hold the razor was family friend Kelly Chicoine. Chicoine has “been in remission for four years” noted Lapp’s daughter Alex, who herself had the opportunity to remove her dad’s third braid. In his remarks following the haircut, Lapp thanked everyone involved in the fundraising efforts and everyone who donated, humbly adding, “All I did was grow the hair.”