It’s no surprise that when volunteers were sought to sacrifice their locks in the name of cancer research and prevention, Farragut High School seniors Jack Hollis, Blake Milstead and Angus Pence answered the call. After all, the three young men are already proven leaders. Jack, who plans to serve in the Navy, is on FHS’s Senior Board. Blake is the senior class president. Angus, a member of the FHS baseball team, leads cheers at football games as student section leader.
They are stepping into the shoes of 2020 grads Adam Fuller and Garrett Howe, who were the first to entice their classmates to donate to the American Cancer Society by shaving their heads during last year’s breast cancer awareness Pink Out game. The pair raised over $3,000 by game time.
This year, the haircuts got tighter as donations went higher. The boys set up a fundraiser on CheddarUp.com that pledged the use of a #2 guard for $4,000 raised, and a #1 guard for $5,000. For $10,000, there was the promise of a surprise head shave. By the time school was out on Friday, donations had already passed the $5,000 mark.
All three boys sported handsome, thick locks before their halftime haircuts. Blake said he wouldn’t mind having short hair for a time, even though his girlfriend wasn’t crazy about the idea. Jack, who will soon sport a military haircut, said it wasn’t much of a sacrifice to shave his head.
“It’s a haircut. If we can raise a couple of thousand bucks, it seems worth it.”
Further donations were collected at the game in giant pink buckets, and the boys drew attention to the cause, and themselves, by sporting pink shorts and pink body paint. They took their shaves, provided by Salon 135, simultaneously.
“It was a memory I’ll have for a lifetime,” said Jack.
Raising money for cancer research was especially meaningful to the students this year as Farragut’s long-time football coach, Eddie Courtney, recently had surgery for prostate cancer. Jack and Blake, who both played football their freshman and sophomore years, said Courtney is loved by his players.
“It’s in our minds a lot this year,” said Angus. “Everyone’s kind of invested and concerned about him.”
Support for the cause of cancer awareness was also evidenced by bright pink rocks in front of the school, painted to advertise the game. Most donations to this year’s fundraiser were made by students, Blake said.
“This school is all about community. It’s always been this way.”
Town of Farragut marketing and public relations coordinator Wendy Smith is your reliable Farragut insider.