PORTLAND, Maine — The mayor wants to make his loss sick kids’ gain — the loss of his hair, specifically.

Mayor Ethan Strimling announced Monday that his upcoming head shave will be a fundraiser for The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.





Generally well-coiffed, the mayor agreed to shave off his salt-and-pepper hair to settle a Super Bowl bet he made with the mayor of Portland, Pennsylvania. Like the New England Patriots, Strimling came out a loser when the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII 41-33.

The mayor now hopes to turn his “foolishness into some help for kids in need,” according to a post on his Facebook page.

Strimling said that one of his closest friends has a child who survived leukemia. “I know they never could have made it without the incredible work of centers like Barbara Bush,” he said in a statement on the hospital’s website.

Portland, PA Mayor Lance Prator will travel to Portland, ME Friday to witness the bet being settled at 2:15 p.m. at Presumpscot Elementary School.

“Any gift over $100 gets you a chance to take the clippers to my head, but all gifts will be appreciated,” Strimling said on Facebook.

Donations can be made at: https://fundraising.mmc.org/bbch/mayor

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