Aurora Quest K-8 students line up with anticipation to help cut teacher Casey Powell's hair.
What's a haircut worth these days?
In most cases, ordinary grooming is typically not a hot topic. However, for Aurora Quest K-8 Dean of Students and Athletic Director Casey Powell, his most recent trimming was well worth the price of admission.
Powell started growing his hair based on a bet with his wife -- who was pregnant at the time -- that he could not let it grow for an entire year. Once the process began, they decided to wait until their son was born before cutting it. His wife cleverly thought to auction off to students the opportunity to be the barbers, which earned $400 for Aurora Quest.
"I did enjoy the process of growing out my hair and the different things I had done with it over the 18 months that I had been growing it," Powell said. To keep it out of my eyes, I would put up a small ponytail in the middle of my head. The children took to this last January and we had Top Knot day, where everyone also put their hair up like I did."
The Powell's recently welcomed their son into world, and to make good on his bet, several students lined up during a school assembly to cut his hair. Powell donated the locks to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, which helps women fighting cancer receive real-hair wigs.
"Working here is like no other place. The fact that I could bring the students together, raise some money for the school and give a cancer patient the opportunity to have a wig just from having a little bet with my wife is pretty cool." - Casey Powell - Aurora Quest K-8