When every penny counts, it can be hard to spare a few for charity, but sometimes all it takes is a silly bet to get the cash flowing.
Physics teacher Zach Kovach now stands in front of his class with a hot pink beard and a head full of green and blue hair. He says it's all to motivate his students at La Joya Community High School in Avondale.
This year they're raising money for Pennies for Patients, an organization that helps fund the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In a message to ABC15, Kovach says his students who usually graciously donate around $20 have far surpassed that with the help of monetary -- and hairy -- goals.
"I told my students, at $100 I would bleach and dye my beard pink. They raised $100 in one day. New goal was at $200 I would also bleach and dye my hair blue. They hit that mark the next day," according to Mr. Kovach.
At the end of the fundraiser, they had raised nearly $670.
"After a while, they stopped asking about how much we had and what would I do," he said. "They were giving because it felt good. They were giving because they cared, not because of something silly I was going to do."
The other goals included Kovach cutting his hair like Mr. T and donating an extra $100 out of his own pocket. Students fulfilled their promise and Kovach followed through on his end, too.
