Mullet madness: Young man who died in motorcycle accident remembered at local fundraiser

As the third contestant walked onstage at Concord’s first-ever Mullet Extravaganza, Eric Daniels had a tear in his eye. He was thinking about his grandson.

“Guiseppe would have loved this,” he whispered.

The audience sitting in the sold-out auditorium of Abbot-Downing Elementary School certainly did. They hooted and cheered as each mullet passed before them. Five judges at the front table took fastidious notes on quality, presentation and performance. Participants leaned into the drama, filling the hour-long competition with costumes, dance routines and energetic walk-out songs.

The youngest contestants — some only two-years-old — spun around after looking to their parents for reassurance. Adult contestants showed off carefully-curated manes with a hearty shake. Every style had its moment on stage: long and short, curly and straight, blond and purple.

Giuseppe’s mullet was the only one missing, but every haircut was for him.

‘Right up his alley’

Jessica Daniels lost her 18-year-old son, Giuseppe Bonanno, in a motorcycle collision almost exactly a year ago. He loved fishing, biking and hockey — and everyone he met loved him.

At Giuseppe’s wake last July, Daniels was overwhelmed by the number of attendees with a story to share about her son. Giuseppe taught some people how to fish or ride a bike. He stuck up for classmates at school. In his short life, he made the people he met feel welcome in a way others never had.

“It clicked, in my head,” Daniels said. “I have to do something to keep this kid’s spirit alive.”

To support New Hampshire youth and honor her son’s passion for the outdoors, Daniels started the Giuseppe M. Bonanno Foundation. The nonprofit offers free CPR classes and lifetime fishing licenses to qualifying teens. It’s also in the process of setting up a trust to provide scholarships to students who share Giuseppe’s interest in conservation law enforcement.

The foundation’s first fundraiser took place in early January at a Laconia Lakers hockey game, where a bake sale, 50/50 raffle, Boston Bruins memorabilia and foundation merchandise got operations off the ground. When Daniels began planning the next event, she wanted it to capture her son’s positive energy.

Giuseppe’s mullet provided the perfect inspiration.

“He was like a clown. He made everybody laugh,” she said. “And this mullet event is so him, because it’s so funny. It’s just right up his alley.”

‘Planting seeds’

Daniels picked July 19 for a reason: she wanted to hold the fundraiser on the one-year anniversary of Giuseppe’s funeral.

“This time, when we all gather, I want us to gather in joy and community and celebrate,” Daniels said. “This event is not just a fundraiser to support the work that we’re doing in Giuseppe’s name….We’re planting seeds and strengthening our community.”

Then May arrived, and with it, Daniels received a leukemia diagnosis. She found herself pulling the event together while in and out of the hospital, relying on FaceTime calls and the support of her friends and family to make everything happen.

So when dozens of people with mullets trickled inside the Abbot-Downing schoolyard gates last Saturday, just as planned, Daniels surveyed the success in her Summer Mullet Extravaganza t-shirt and matching green chemo-mandated mask. The hospital had released her for a second time just four days prior. As friends ushered her to sit inside, she wandered around to check on the face painting table and greet attendees.

Festivities included more than just the hairstyle competition. A band in mullet wigs provided music from the far end of the lawn outside the school. Teens played cornhole in Giuseppe M. Bonanno Foundation t-shirts. Kids munched on Kona Ice snow cones. An army pop-up tent officiated push-up competitions and handed out swag. The nearby silent auction table offered everything from a kayak and autographed Celtics memorabilia to a quilt made by Giuseppe’s grandmother.

The serious business began once people drifted inside.

Fred Caruso, the afternoon’s volunteer emcee, welcomed people to the competition. He read a brief intro for every contestant, each of whom walked onstage to raucous applause and music of their choice.

A few competitors quickly stole the show. Three-year-old Nolan Wipple won in the “under-four” category with his blond mane, while Giuseppe’s cousin, Bowen Daniels, showcased an impressive stage presence to clinch the 8-12 division title. “Sensei Sheryl” Geisert, the only female competitor, showed up with a purple cut and matching coat.

South Mane barber Billy DeGon sat on the judging panel, alongside two cosmetology students and two volunteers. He attested to an uptick in mullet requests at his shop in recent weeks, but, despite having cut several of the looks on stage, claimed no bias in his judging.

Geisert not only participated in the contest, but also presented Giuseppe’s grandfather with a check of $1512.52, destined for the nonprofit. Despite proclaiming herself as a longtime opponent of mullets, she wore a purple one herself, having raised funds at White Tiger Karate in Giuseppe’s honor. Both he and his grandfather were her former students.

“I know G’s laughing, because I don’t care for mullets,” Geisert said. “But I’m kind of liking mine….What better way than to help keep Giuseppe’s name alive than all of this wonderful fundraising and all these events?”

Giuseppe’s mother hopes the extravaganza will pave the way for larger future impact. Thanks to the donations collected throughout the afternoon, the foundation will finalize its scholarship trust and continue offering CPR classes. It’s already on track to certify 40 kids by the end of the summer.

“I started this foundation to carry on the light he shared so freely,” Daniels said. “Every contribution helps us continue the mission and keep Giuseppe’s spirit alive in our community.”

Abby DiSalvo can be reached at adisalvo@cmonitor.com