Highlands Students Raise $14,000 for BEDS Plus

What began as a dare for Tom Hinshaw eight years ago became something more on June 1.

On their last day of school, students at Highlands Middle School raised over $14,000 at the 3rd Hornet Buzz fundraiser for BEDS Plus, a Lyons Township area homeless support organization. Students raised money by signing up to buzz their heads, or get blue feathers put in their hair at the event.

A carnival atmosphere was contagious at the event. Basketball shooting contests, a limbo line, an inflatable obstacle course and watermelon-eating contest kept kids entertained while a DJ spun Top 40 hits.

"Highlands is such a great community," Hinshaw said at the event. "[Recently] it was just shaving heads, but now it has turned into a full carnival."

The fundraiser first began when his son and his son's friend offered him $10 to shave his head one summer eight years ago. By the end of the day, they had raised $250 to get him to shave it off—which he then donated to BEDS Plus.

"It's a great cause," Hinshaw said of BEDS Plus. "In our community, most people have nice homes and food—it can be hard to imagine what being homeless is like."

Each year the event has grown little by little, and by the end of the day of the fundraiser, it had its best year ever—topping last year's total and beating this year's expectations by over $5,000.

"It's really amazing. We're so appreciative of the support," Hinshaw said later in the day when he revealed the total.

This isn't the last event Hinshaw is working on to support BEDS Plus either. He's currently trying to set up another fundraiser with players on Lyons Township High School's football and basketball teams called Hoops for the Homeless.

We'll keep you updated on when and where that will be when more of the details have been finalized. For now, take a look at the fun pictures we got of the great time at the Hornet Buzz and start your fundraising for next year—there's a new record to beat!