GLADSTONE PARK — A 7-year-old Northwest Sider competing for the best mullet in the country is riding a wave of local support to the next round of the contest.
Evan Hall of Gladstone Park entered this month’s USA Mullet Championship contest and received about 1,900 votes, said his mother, Caitlin Hall. Evan finished seventh out of 33 kids in his age group in the first round of voting, which closed earlier this week, according to contest results.
Evan received praise and votes from neighbors, family and strangers after Block Club first reported on him. Northwest Siders and Mayor Brandon Johnson shared the news, encouraging Chicagoans to vote for him.
“I am excited to be advancing,” Evan said Wednesday. “Once I saw I was in fifth, I knew I was going to round two.”
Evan calls his hairstyle “The Chicago Cascade” to highlight that city kids can rock a mullet just as well as country kids, he and his mother said.
People on the street said they recognized “the kid with the mullet” from the news and told the family they voted for him, Caitlin Hall said. As native Chicagoans, she said the family was pleased to see the support and votes, and how many times the story was shared, especially by the mayor.
“It’s always been a big city that has felt small and we have felt that … everybody is going to have opinions, but overall there has been lots of support,” Caitlin Hall said. “When kids want to do something they enjoy, it’s hard to find fault in that.”
This year, the mullet championship organization is partnering with Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, a charity that helps provide homes for wounded veterans. Contestants can earn more votes when people donate to the charity on behalf of the contestant, though fan voting is weighted heavier than fundraising, USA Mullet Championship organizers said on Instagram.
The championship organization has raised almost $86,000 since the contest opened last week, and Evan has raised a little over $200, his mother said.
“It feels good to help others,” Evan said of his donations that have contributed to the veterans charity.
Voting for round two is open Thursday-Sunday. While each contestant’s score goes back to zero, their donation amount will continue to contribute to their total score. People can vote once daily.
You can vote and donate to Evan online, and check out other entries for the contest on its website.
After the second round closes, the top 25 kids who received the highest scores will proceed to the finals, according to contest rules.
Evan entered the contest to show other kids it’s important to do things that make you feel “happy and cool,” he said.
The mullet life isn’t just for the competition. Evan plans to keep “The Chicago Cascade” going strong even after the contest is over, he said.
“I’m committed to it,” he previously told Block Club.
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