A CUT FOR LOVE

There is an old saying that radio hosts often have a face for radio where they can’t be seen. Popular KOWZ/KRUE Country radio personality Brad Kubat took advantage of that by hiding his shoulder-length hair that has grown out over the past two years.
But on Friday night Kubat took center stage at the Home & Recreation Show in Owatonna with a pair of area hair stylists shearing off nine inches of his hair as part of a radio promotion to benefit children who have no hair.
With a large crowd looking on, stylists Roberta Jensen and Sue Wavrin of Gillespie’s Beauty Saloon in Owatonna separated Kubat’s hair into ponytails before finally making the cuts. In the end, they had eight bands of hair.
Kubat’s hair was put into a plastic Ziploc bag in preparation to be shipped to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids, a nonprofit organization in Michigan that helps children experiencing hair loss as a result of cancer treatments, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other disorders.
Throughout the haircut, Kubat took a little ribbing from his colleagues as well as guests at the show. “How does it feel, naked?” one guy asked as Kubat was under the scissor.
Kubat dished it right back by making a few wisecracks of his own. “What’s under every pony tail? A horse’s ass,” Kubat said referring to himself.
Once the cut was complete, Kubat stood up from the beauty chair and the crowd erupted into a big applause for his efforts.
“We should have brought in a chainsaw when we did Brad’s,” Jensen joked.
All kidding aside, Kubat was overcome with emotion when it was all over.
“I just love it,” Kubat said with tears in his eyes. “When I think of what this does for kids… it makes them feel good about themselves and not worry about being picked on. It warms my heart.”
Kubat nearly went into a panic a few months prior to the Home & Recreation Show when his station manager challenged each of them to come up with something to do for the show. “The big joke at the radio station with me was ‘what’s your plan,’” Kubat said. “I had no plan.”
He eventually stumbled across Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids on the internet. Kubat found that Maggie’s is one of very few organizations that don’t charge for a prostatic wig and no one is ever turned down.
With hair reaching his shoulders, Kubat thought what a better idea than to turn it into a promotion for the Home & Recreation Show. And just maybe he’d get a little reprieve from his colleagues nagging at him about coming up with something.
Kubat set the wheels in motion with the promotion. He interviewed Maggie Varney, the founder and CEO of Maggie’s on the radio prior to the show. Within five days, their efforts landed them eight other people who registered to donate their hair at the show.
When others heard about what Kubat was doing, they also wanted to jump on board. One of them was Sean Benz of Owatonna. “He said if Brad is doing it, I’m going to do it, too,” Kubat said.
Connie Mulcahy of Waseca also donated 12 inches of her hair. “I thought it would have been longer than that,” Mulcahy said.
“I’m glad you donated… every little bit helps,” Jensen responded back to Mulcahy as she cut her hair. “Some lucky girl is going to get your beautiful red hair.”
This is the second time Mulcahy has donated her hair with the first time being six years ago. “I want to do my part to help the poor little children. They are all so brave,” Mulcahy said.
Two-year-old Kash Kramer of Owatonna came by to get his first haircut ever. He ended up donating seven inches of hair.
Besides people getting their hair cut at the show, others showed up with hair they wanted to donate. One woman donated 24 inches of hair for this event, bringing her lifetime donation total to 100 inches.
Some had to be turned away from the show, but Kubat said they can still donate. For more information, go to www.wigs4kids.org. Maggie’s requires a minimum of seven inches.
In Kubat’s case, it took two years to grow out his hair, and he admitted he would have hated to waste it by throwing it out.
“I had no plan to grow it out,” Kubat recalled. “The only reason I decided to grow it out was because I had one cut during COVID-19 and that one cut was enough for me. I was miserable with wearing a mask while getting cut.”
Kubat likes the idea of having to take care of less hair. “I’m looking forward to waking up in the morning without hair in my eyes and mouth and not having to take all the snarls out of my hair,” he said. “I’m a wash and go kind of guy.”
While Jensen and Wavrin complimented Kubat on the upkeep of his long hair, Kubat is quite content with his new hairdo.
A friend came by and asked if Kubat had plans to grow it out again.    
“No, I don’t think so,” Kubat responded.