FRANKLIN
More than 30 years ago, Naomi Koontz started cutting Jackie Cutchin’s hair. Thirty years of friendship and a recent breast cancer diagnosis later, Cutchin got to return the favor.

“I didn’t want to do it,” she said about shaving Koontz’s head. But ultimately, with the help of Koontz and some hairstylists from Aesthetics by Naomi, she did. “She wanted to do it, so I did it.

“It was very emotional. For a woman to lose her hair is very emotional.”

Cutchin had to have her own head shaved after the second treatment, and only a week previous to the event she had gone through chemotherapy. However, she’s at the half way point.

“Just the fact that she had the energy to be out was fantastic,” Koontz said. “Normally, people are kind of knocked down after chemo.”

Koontz has been shaving heads at Franklin’s St. Baldrick’s event for the past seven years, and she never thought about being on the other side of the clippers. However, it seemed right to raise money for children’s cancer in honor of her long-time friend.

“She is my best friend — I just didn’t want her to go through it alone, to be bald by herself,” Koontz said. “I was smiling through the whole thing. It’s just hair.”

St. Baldrick’s is also a charity, of course, and the hair stylist wanted to go big, and not just by shaving off her thick brown hair.

“I wanted to reach a goal of $15,000,” Koontz said. “And I exceeded that. Once I sat in the chair, I knew my goal was reached, and I was excited about that.”

Coming into the night, she had earned $11,000. Part of that included a motorcycle ride that left from the Sgt. Jayton D. Patterson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4411 at breakfast and ended up at Fred’s Restaurant for lunch.

“It was so successful,” she said. “I think I will start to do an annual Harley ride.”

Koontz admits that her success was a team effort. During the night, one of her partners on Team Naomi, The Tidewater News Publisher Tony Clark, had earned less than that. But Koontz said he really made up for it that night.

“He worked up the crowd,” said Koontz, who also shaved Clark’s head. “He raised $2,500 just sitting there while I was cutting his hair, which was pretty impressive. He was a very good sport about it.”

One of the children, Tucker Cobb, 7, was also on Team Naomi. He’s the son of Joey and Katie Cobb.

Together, the team raised more than $18,000, with money still coming in. In total, Franklin raised more than $20,000 for the event. The most ever raised had been approximately $16,800.

“I think it is a great cause,” Koontz said. “Almost 80 percent goes to research, and that’s impressive to me.

“I love the event — it is a great thing for Franklin.”

Being bald hasn’t been bad so far, Koontz said.

“No, I’ve had no regrets,” she said. “I went to church on Sunday, and everybody was very supportive there and everyone wanted to see my head. And the people who didn’t know what it was about, asked all sorts of questions about it.

“I can’t tell you how many people have actually learned about St. Baldrick’s this year, and that’s another great thing — educating people on what it is about, and that’s ending children’s cancer.”

Koontz said that Cutchin might actually have a future as a stylist.

“No, no, no, no!” Cutchin said with a laugh and smile. “Definitely not!”

Cutchin admitted that it all kind of took her by surprise.

“I think it is awesome,” she said. “I didn’t want her to do it, but I love her. She’s like my sister.

“It’s for the children,” Cutchin added with a smile. “If we can keep one child from having cancer, that’s all that matters.”