On January 19, 2003, five barbers gathered at the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet in North Yorkshire, UK and established a world record. The quintet shaved 228 heads in four hours, setting the current world record for Most Heads Shaved in Four Hours.
GW student organization Buzzing for Change is planning to beat the current record Sunday, Sept. 14, the day after Fall Fest. The group plans to gather five barbers and 230 people, while raising $10,000 for charity.
Buzzing for Change founder Judah Ferst said he was inspired by his friend, Wade Strauss, who had organized a similar event a few years ago. Strauss, who currently works for GW Hillel, arranged a mass head-shaving as a student at University of California San Diego.
"I loved the idea and wanted to take it a step further," Ferst said.
Ferst created Buzzing for Change last fall.
"It was thrown together in a week," Ferst said. "We started to raise money but then began to realize the idea wasn't really focused. I wanted to make it a huge event. We came up with a name and started to put together a team to work on it."
Ferst, a Philadelphia native who is majoring in human services, called on friends and co-workers for help in forming Buzzing for Change.
"I drew on all areas of my life," Ferst said. "For example, Rachel Sandler, our treasurer - I knew from my work on the Program Board. In some cases people are both my friends and co-workers, but I made sure to pick people I knew would be good at their job."
While Ferst has been involved in service-related work since high school, the organization of an event on this scale is new to him.
The money raised will go to the Child Life Department at the Children's National Medical Center in D.C. Most of the funds will come directly from participants, who will raise sponsorship money for shaving their heads.
"I really liked the idea of targeting children's cancer," Ferst said. "It clicked in terms of who I am and what I want to accomplish with this."
GW student organization Buzzing for Change is planning to beat the current record Sunday, Sept. 14, the day after Fall Fest. The group plans to gather five barbers and 230 people, while raising $10,000 for charity.
Buzzing for Change founder Judah Ferst said he was inspired by his friend, Wade Strauss, who had organized a similar event a few years ago. Strauss, who currently works for GW Hillel, arranged a mass head-shaving as a student at University of California San Diego.
"I loved the idea and wanted to take it a step further," Ferst said.
Ferst created Buzzing for Change last fall.
"It was thrown together in a week," Ferst said. "We started to raise money but then began to realize the idea wasn't really focused. I wanted to make it a huge event. We came up with a name and started to put together a team to work on it."
Ferst, a Philadelphia native who is majoring in human services, called on friends and co-workers for help in forming Buzzing for Change.
"I drew on all areas of my life," Ferst said. "For example, Rachel Sandler, our treasurer - I knew from my work on the Program Board. In some cases people are both my friends and co-workers, but I made sure to pick people I knew would be good at their job."
While Ferst has been involved in service-related work since high school, the organization of an event on this scale is new to him.
The money raised will go to the Child Life Department at the Children's National Medical Center in D.C. Most of the funds will come directly from participants, who will raise sponsorship money for shaving their heads.
"I really liked the idea of targeting children's cancer," Ferst said. "It clicked in terms of who I am and what I want to accomplish with this."
