Austin Eaton of York gets to keep his hair

Remember the hair-raising challenge York sophomore Austin Eaton put himself through last week?

It all turned out for the best.

Austin Eaton raised $3,456 with his "Save It or Shave It" campaign to aid in the reconstruction of the medical clinic in Bom Jesus, Angola. Contributors to the cause were invited to vote with their donations on whether Austin would or wouldn't shave his locks.

The vote was 2:1 to save the curls, and he obliged.

Austin was asked by his church missions team to head the fundraising effort to Build A Bridge of Love to Angola, and decided to create an event that would include his fellow York students and community.

The proceeds will benefit the Bom Jesus Medical Clinic on the campus of Methodist church that serves a rural community of 10,000 people. The church also plays a key role in supporting the Angolan people to eliminate malaria in their country.

This isn't Austin's first fundraiser to battle malaria in Africa. Last year he raised $2,700 at a luncheon to benefit "Imagine No Malaria," an effort by the people of the United Methodist Church to end preventable deaths by malaria in Africa by 2015.