Our partners in health: Matt Cone, teacher with a mohawk

We've been incredibly touched and inspired by the outpouring of support we've received over the past 6 days. From to celebrities to sports teams to activists--we are so thankful to all our partners in health. Below is how one of the thousands of supporters--and his students--are standing in solidarity with PIH, and with the people of Haiti.

On Wednesday, January 16,  Matt Cone, a high school civics and economics teacher in Hillsborough, North Carolina, had a full head of hair. Then he presented his students with a challenge: If everybody donated $5 and they reached a goal of $275 to donate to PIH, they could shave his head.

Cone’s students went above and beyond. On Wednesday, January 20, around noon, he left the room for 2 minutes to allow students to donate what they could. When he returned, they were $21 shy. He gave them a couple more minutes to reach their goal. By 12:25 p.m., Cone had a mohawk, courtesy of his students.

After a parent matched up to $100, the group is donating approximately $400 to PIH’s relief efforts in Haiti. Cone, who has encouraged his students to think about global poverty and the many factors involved, says, “I’m hopeful we can persuade students to also look outside the lens of charity and think about social justice. How was it that Haiti became so poor? . . . It would be amazing for students to be talking about Haiti six months from now or later. The real hope is that you get underneath the skin with all this stuff.”