By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – It all started with a bet and now a few City employees no longer have hair.
The break room at the Utilities Department was transformed into a barber shop Wednesday afternoon as Buddy Adams went to work and gave four men a haircut they will never forget.
Tom Daus, BJ Stepien, Johnny Hall and Rick Bedell, all City employees, sat in front of a crowded room and watched as, one by one, their hair fell to the ground.
This was no ordinary day at the makeshift hair salon though. The workers had a reason for losing their hair. That reason was to help out their fellow employee, Gregg Watson.
Watson, a lineman apprentice for the City, was involved in a serious dirt bike accident a few weeks ago. One of his biggest injuries included breaking his pelvic bone, which means he will be unable to work for at least six months.
Watson was taken directly to Lakeland in Niles, after the accident, but his injuries were too serious and he had to be airlifted to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo.
"Only time will tell what's going to happen, but this haircut was well worth the outcome," Daus said, after checking out his new hairdo.
The bet started when an employee told Daus he would give him money to shave his head bald.
"BJ (Stepien) said if he did it, he would donate $150 to Gregg and his family. The rest of the story is history. Everyone started donating money and it went from there," Tim Wilson said.
All of the donations came from City employees, who collected $1,500 as of Wednesday afternoon.
"Who would have known that a small conversation would blossom into this. This is my first time ever having a bald head, but the generosity that has come out of it has been amazing," Daus added.
Watson is at home now, and employees admitted they will continue to do whatever they can to help out.
"We just want to see Gregg get well and get back as soon as possible," Daus said.