Contributed photo: Stayner Collegiate Institute teachers, Ben Murray (from left), Vaughn Dickson and Ty McNea, are letting dontations dictate if they grow or shave.
Three Stayner Collegiate Institute teachers, Ty McNea, Ben Murray and Vaughn Dickson, have been growing their hair and beards since Labour Day with the goal of raising money and awareness for issues surrounding teen mental health.
The teachers are trying to raise $1,000 by the end of Teen Mental Health Week, May 4-8. Money raised will be used directly at SCI for SCI students.
There are two jars on the front desk in the SCI library, one decorated with a drawing of a bald head, the other with a drawing of a head blessed with a full beard and long hair. Students, staff members, parents, and anyone else with a desire to donate to the cause can purchase a ticket for a dollar and add their ticket to either jar. There is no limit to how many votes an individual can buy. Once the votes are counted, McNea, Dickson and Murray will be obligated to either let it all grow until the end of the school year or have it shorn completely at the Teen Mental Health Assembly on May 7.
Murray is urging students to vote for shearing. “The beard and all this hair is driving me crazy. I would like it all gone,” he said.