This Madison businessman is wearing a neon pink wig for a month. Here’s why.

MADISON, Wis. — Close your eyes and envision a businessman: a freshly-pressed shirt, pants, dress shoes… and a pink wig?!

Kendall Richards, president of the Madison-based All-Comfort Services, doesn’t look like your typical businessman, at least this month. Richards is wearing a hair-raising, head-turning neon pink wig for 30 days to raise money and awareness for breast cancer and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Like many, his involvement with Komen is the result of a personal connection: Richards’ grandma fought and beat breast cancer in her 70s. She lived to the age of 102.

Now, Richards is participating in the nonprofit’s BigWig challenge. He and nine other wig-wearing do-gooders are trying to raise at least $75,000 for Susan G. Komen of Wisconsin. The challenge runs through Monday, March 15 and is just one example of the innovative ways people are raising money in new ways during the pandemic.

Komen was among the first local non-profits to cancel its biggest event in 2020: the annual ‘More Than Pink’ walk. The organization tried a virtual walk last fall, but that brought in less than half of what it usually raises.

“That translates directly into lost services for women that live in Wisconsin,” Nikki Panico, Susan G. Komen’s State Executive Director, explained.

Fidelity Charitable reports similar effects across the board. While the highest income-earners were 20-percent more likely to give last year, two-thirds of donors either decreased or stopped volunteering, citing a lack of in-person events.

“There are a group of individuals who can still give and they have very generously,” Panico added.

Both Panico and Richards agree charitable opportunities are plentiful and are encouraging anyone who can give to donate to causes important to their families, whether that’s the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or other non-profits.

If you would like to help Kendall reach his goal of $10,000, click here.

If you’re looking for other places to give, Charity Navigator is a great place to start. Click here for the website’s database of more than 100,000 verified charities.