On Monday morning, Cash Ballard sat in her chair with his long, flowing hair surrounded by family and his fourth grade teacher, Denise Hanlin, who wanted to be there to support him.

"Cash touched my heart as a kid wanting to do something bigger than himself," she said. "He didn't want to just grow his hair to be popular or to look like an athlete. He wanted to do it for someone else. What a statement that makes about the kind of character he has."