A FRIENDLY wager turned into a fundraising crusade which lasted over a year when Surj Bhullar decided to grow his hair to help a colleague’s grandson.
Surj, Operations Manager at the Stagecoach Rugby bus depot, was known for his well-groomed appearance.
But he abandoned his once-fortnightly haircut routine after a casual bet with a colleague motivated him to grow his locks to raise money for the Fragile X Society.
He was inspired to choose the charity by five-year-old Shay – the grandson of depot admin clerk Sandra Murphy – who has fragile legs as a result of a genetic disorder.
Surj said: “One of the drivers mentioned my hair was slightly longer than usual and I jokingly said I was growing it.
“He offered me a wager of £20 if I did not cut my hair for a month. With other drivers in hearing distance, I said I could do it for a year. Many of the other drivers wanted to take me up on the bet and I could not back down. When the sum pledged reached £200 I decided to do it for charity.
“So far I have just over £1,100. Stagecoach Midlands very generously contributed £475 to support what I was doing.
“The hair was very challenging to keep under control and I would never do it again!”
