ARW Pilots Use Their Heads to Produce P4P Contribution

A group of Air Wisconsin pilots endured a “hair razing” experience at Tuesday’s ALPA ARW holiday party. Members including MEC Chair Richard Swindell, Council 50 Chair Chris Suhs, Council 50 Vice Chair Reed Donoghue, MEC Negotiating Chair Mark Lockwood, MEC SPSC Chair Jared Armstrong, F/O Curtiss Kimberly, and F/O Jason Kiah had their heads shaved as a means to raise $800 for the ALPA Emergency Relief Fund, also known as Pilots for Pilots (P4P).

“We had a professional barber do the buzz cuts,” said Suhs, who chairs the council that hosts the annual holiday party for Air Wisconsin pilots and their spouses. “We set a price on each participant’s head. If that amount was raised, the pilot sat in the barber’s chair. This is the second year we have had an activity designed to raise money for a special cause,” he said. “Last year we threw pies, raising nearly $600 for an Air Wisconsin mechanic and his family who lost their home in a fire. Making it a tradition, we came up with this hair-brained idea and it worked.”

“We would like to acknowledge the members who made this event possible,” said Suhs. “We can come up with crazy ideas, but without our pilots’ willingness to participate and contribute, we wouldn't have been as successful as we have these last two years.

“A special thanks to Jared Armstrong. He constructed last year’s pie-throwing booth and this year’s ‘hair containment unit,’” added Suhs.

This year’s ALPA ARW holiday party was held at the Waterman’s Surfside Grill in Virginia Beach, Va.

P4P provides for the immediate needs of ALPA members and their families who fall victim to widespread disasters. P4P covers early out-of-pocket expenses to help pilots and their families recover faster. To learn more about the fund, make a donation, or request a grant, visit www.alpa.org/relieffund. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States and grants are available to all members and their families who qualify.