Hudson shaves head, raises $12,000 to help fight cancer

NICEVILLE, FL - Niceville businesswoman Susan Hudson made good on her pledge to cut off her long hair and shave her head at Niceville’s recent Relay for Life. In doing so, Hudson raised $12,000 for cancer research, $2,000 more than her $10,000 goal.

“I’m still getting checks in so I don’t have the exact total yet but it looks like we’ll be right at $12,000 or a little over,” Hudson told The Advertiser one week after the event, which was held at the Niceville High School football stadium.

While most of the contributions came in smaller amounts, Hudson reported that she received a $2,500 contribution from a local business person who prefers to remain anonymous, and a $1,600 contribution from students at Plew Elementary School, the proceeds of a recent fund-raiser.

“I was totally the contribution from the children,” said Hudson. ‘It brought tears to my eyes.”

In March, Hudson pledged to have her hair cut off and head shaved if local businesses and individuals showed support by making a financial contribution to the American Cancer Society. Hudson’s hair has been donated to Locks of Love, where it will be used to make a hairpiece for a financially disadvantaged child suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Hudson decided to completely shave her head as a way to honor cancer victims and survivors. Hudson lost her mother and grandmother to cancer.

On the heels of her success of her fund-raiser, Hudson has issued a challenge for someone else to take up the cause and shave their head next year. She is hopeful the tradition will be carried on every year.

“I’ll even help them raise the money,” said Hudson.

For more information, call Hudson at 729-7202.