By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Getting a little wild and wooly isn’t that big of deal when it’s done for a good cause.
That seemed to be Darrell May’s belief as he sat in a chair Monday morning in the New Day Ministries Outreach Center. The Santa Claus-lookalike had been draped with a cape decorated in a variety of moustaches and awaited his fate. It didn’t take long before the snip of shears and the buzz of an electric razor filled the air. May’s family and friends cheered him on as long gray locks and white whiskers fell to the floor.
May had been growing his hair out since he made the decision in January to help support the Outreach Center. He campaigned to not get a cut — for his hair or his beard — until the Outreach Center raised $500 to help pay off its winter bills.
“Right after Christmas, it’s cold and I didn’t want to shave my beard off,” May said. “I just came up with the idea (of) letting it grow and helping out with the utilities here.”
May’s wife Patricia works at the Outreach Center. She said the bills had been atrocious during the winter months and, as the Outreach Center functioned on donations, funds fell a little short to pay off the bills. That’s when her husband decided to go a little wild for a good cause.
“He wasn’t going to quit until he made the $500,” Patricia said.
That meant even if they were short by a penny, not a lock would fall from May’s head until that goal had been met.
“I’m just impressed with the community and how much they put in there,” Patricia said.
A canister has sat on the counter of the Outreach Center since May began his campaign, a photo of a Santa-double in dark sunglasses taped to the front. Sometimes, Patricia said, one lady would dump all of her change in the jar when she came in to help support the cause.
“I’m proud of you, honey,” Patricia yelled out across the room as Linda Zeigler from the Styling Den put the finishing touches on May’s new ‘do. Zeigler had volunteered to give May his new haircut.
“I just hope my dog don’t bite me when I go home,” May joked before he stood up from his makeshift salon chair.
“He just decided he wanted to grow his hair and do something for the Outreach Center,” Patricia explained, “to let the people come in from the community to help and they have. We’ve raised $500 with their help and it will go towards our bills and utilities for the center.”
“It’s for a good cause. It’s paying our bills,” Kish Meade said. Meade functions as the Outreach Center’s manager. “It’s going towards taking some of the weight off our shoulders and just by growing his hair — it’s all so he could do that. It touches a lot of people that he was that, I don’t know, stubborn,” Meade said with a laugh. “It’s really cool that he’s doing it for the cause.
The Outreach Center reaches out to the community to help them afford clothing and other items. Donations can be made at the center located at 133 N. Sandusky Ave., Bucyrus or at New Day Ministries.
“Tell them you want to make a donation and we’ll be more than happy to send a thank you card. We’ve been sending thank you cards like crazy because we’ve been having a lot of people, even here in the businesses, (donating stuff),” said Meade. “They know what we’re doing. We’ve been reaching out, is what we’re doing. We’re a ministry. This ain’t a business; it’s a ministry.”
May said it felt good to finally reach the $500 mark, especially after having to sweat through a few 80-degree days.
How does May feel about his new haircut? “Nice and breezy,” he laughed.