When Adam Veen was just 16, he decided to put his curly hair into dreadlocks.
It was a bold fashion statement for a teen and the hairstyle stuck for 17 years.
The Oil Springs man admits over the years he’s faced a lot of questions about how he washes the hair and “It must be hot in the summer.” That’s a question Veen doesn’t have an answer to since he can’t remember what it felt like pre-dreadlocks.
He will soon. Veen plans to cut his dreadlocks off to raise money for children’s mental health services. “I knew it was time for a change, so I’m trying to make a positive impact out of this big change.”
Veen chose St. Clair Child and Youth Services and the children’s arm of Lambton’s Canadian Mental Health Services for a reason. “I want teens to know it doesn’t matter if your hair is in dreadlocks or you’re a little different than everyone else outside, what matters what you look like on the inside.”
Veen hopes to raise $2,000 to split between the charities after the June 15 event at the Oil Springs Legion. His dad, Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen has pledged $500 so he can have the honours of being first to chop the locks off.
To donate to Veen’s Dread the Cut event you can go to https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/dreading-the-haircut/.