Local father shaves head as part of campaign promise after helping raise $66K for Children's Wisconsin
BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- On Thursday, Nick Hudzinski sat down for a haircut. But it wasn't your typical barber chair.
Instead, he was at his workplace inside Landmark Credit Union, surrounded by family and coworkers cheering him on as he got a close shave.
Hudzinski was fulfilling his promise for the Chain of Hearts campaign, which benefits Children's Wisconsin.
RJ
This year, he and his team raised a record-breaking $66,000, all of which will go toward the hospital -- and as a result, Hudzinski agreed to not only partly shave his head, but dye the remaining hair blue.
"It's a little chilly on the sides, but yeah, I love it," said Hudzinski, a senior sales manager for the credit union.
But for Hudzinski, this challenge was personal.
His 6-year-old son, RJ, was born with a brain injury and now sees dozens of specialists at Children's, visiting monthly.
"He has cerebral palsy, autism, a feeding disorder, a visual impairment, so he has a lot going on," Hudzinski said. "When RJ was first born, they said he'd never walk, he'd never talk, he'd never be able to live a regular life, and to see him running around like he is -- yes, he has his challenges, but it's still amazing that they helped us to do those things for him."
Hudzinski said he and his family now have a special relationship with the hospital.
"It's really wonderful that it's a team effort, a branch effort, and they're raising funds locally for kids in Wisconsin," said Caitlin Fahey, with Children's, who dyed Hudzinski's hair blue. "It's a fun way to celebrate raising that milestone of a goal."
Last year, they raised $61,000. Officials said they're unsure what next year's fundraiser will look like, but they already have a few ideas in the works.
