No Section II runner was more recognizable than Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s Joe Girard.
All you had to do was look for the tall, lanky kid with an afro two sizes bigger than his face.
Not any more.
The senior with the nickname “FroJoe” no longer has his recognizable mane.
Girard had his locally famous locks lopped off Sunday at the Ballston Lake home of his friend, Sara Neville. The hair he spent approximately 18 months growing to heights unseen on a Suburban Council track or cross country course was now in a plastic bag. He sent the clippings on to Locks of Love, a charity that takes donated hair and turns it into wigs for cancer patients.
As he sat in the Neville family’s kitchen having sections of his hair cut one by one by Neville, Girard immediately noticed the difference.
“It feels like my head is weightless,” said Girard.
Girard gave Neville, a fellow BH-BL student also studying cosmetology at Albany County BOCES, the honor of cutting his hair down to an unrecognizable size.
“He trusts me for some reason,” said Neville.
After studying the task at hand, Neville began the process by bundling small sections of Girard’s afro and then cutting as close to his head as possible. Within 30 minutes, Girard was two inches shorter than when he walked in with his parents, Joe Sr. and Marylou.
After another 20 minutes of having his hair shaved down to get rid of the remaining curls, Girard got up and looked at himself in a nearby mirror. He let out a quick shout — mostly for effect — and stared at what had become of his head.
Girard said he suspected he wouldn’t be the only one surprised by his new look. His friends, his BH-BL classmates and his fellow track athletes would likely also be taken aback.
“There’s going to be devastation (at school Monday),” said Girard.
Girard kept his date with the clippers a closely guarded secret. The only people who knew Sunday was the fateful day was his family, the Nevilles and this Spotlight reporter.
“I’ve been trying to keep it on the down low,” said Girard. “I’ve been telling people I would get it done some time in the spring, but I didn’t know when.”
Girard said he didn’t know how losing his hair would affect his performance in terms of time, but he did know one effect it would have.
“I think it will be a pretty big relief (not having the afro) because it was getting in my eyes when I ran,” said Girard.
More importantly for Girard, the hair he had cut off will go to help people who lost their hair in the battle with cancer.
“Being a follower of Christ, I try to help people who need things,” said Girard.
It’s likely you’ll be able to find the people helped by Girard’s generosity. They’ll be the ones with the curly brown wigs standing straight up.