NEGAUNEE -- As a group of amateur athletes prepare for a grueling obstacle course called the Tough Mudder, they are also raising funds for a colleague in need. Police dispatcher Kristie Buruse and some of her teammates agreed to shave their hair into mohawks.

The group held a fundraiser for Jerry Hebert, a volunteer firefighter who is battling an incurable lung disease. Friends and family cheered them on as they waved goodbye to their hair.

"Our hair is very precious to us, and it's taken me a long time to get my hair nice and long like this, but if our friend can battle this horrible disease, I can shave my head," said Kristie Buruse, Tough Mudder competitor. "My hair will grow back, I can deal with it."

Hebert's son and nephew also decided to get mohawks courtesy of the Kolor to Dye For salon in Marquette. The team will now take on the Tough Mudder competition in Cascade, Wisconsin. They're scheduled to compete on Saturday, September 8.