This week is the final round of a nationwide contest for an iconic hairstyle.
Shawn Halladay is one of the 25 finalists in the U.S.A. Mullet Championships. He’s from Gifford, an unincorporated community in McKean County near Bradford.
Halladay said he originally grew a mullet as a joke for a friend’s wedding two years ago, but he had so much fun with the hairstyle that he decided to keep the party going.
“I just love cracking jokes about it. Everyone talks about it and I say, you know, 'Can you hear that? Let me turn it up, here.' And I'm gonna flip some of the hair to them. It's just a fun lifestyle. I love it. I don't think I could ever go back," Halladay said.
Even though Halladay said mullets are fun, he points out the contest is for a serious cause. All of the donations go to Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors.
“I love our vets, our country. This is gonna give them mortgage free homes. This is me hopefully doing something right," Halladay said.
Each contestant had to come up with a name for the signature hairdo. Halladay decided to name his "Dale" after a NASCAR race driver.
"There's a good phrase that I always say all the time. I always say 'do it for Dale,' which is Dale Earnhardt Sr. 3, just a big I guess redneck type thing around here," Halladay said, referring to Earnhardt's car.
Voting in the mullet championship’s “Mane Event” started Monday morning. The national champion will be selected based on fan votes, donations and a panel of judges that critiques each mullet based on length, style, uniqueness and showmanship. Voting closes Friday night.
Halladay said it’s hard for him to gather votes in his rural area and that he’s gone town-to-town asking for votes.
“Well, I won't say I have the best mullet but I have a pretty darn good looking mullet. And I love my country and I want to just give back and hopefully donate enough money for our vets," Halladay said.
So far this year, more than $200,000 has been raised to support U.S. veterans, according to the U.S.A. Mullet Championships website.
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