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ROBBINSVILLE: Camp counselor goes bald for a cause

By Jovelle Abbey Tamayo, Special Writer
   ROBBINSVILLE — Summer-camp counselor Tyler Margotta wore a black garbage bag and a wary smile as he steadied himself for what was to come.
   Mr. Margotta, 18, had agreed to shave his head if the campers in the township’s summer recreation camp program met their goal of collecting 500 canned goods for the township food pantry. On Friday, at the conclusion of the campers’ “Robbinsville Idol” talent show, it was time to make good on his promise.
   As the first locks of blond hair hit the floor, about 100 campers inside the Sharon Elementary School gym erupted in laughter, applause and shrieks.
   ”What do you think guys? Bald?” asked Township Recreation Director Joe Barker as senior counselor Steve Kowalski and the camp’s assistant director, Kevin Keener, took turns with the clippers.
   ”Bald! Bald! Bald!” chanted the campers in response.
   Afterward, the township food pantry had 522 new grocery items for the needy and Mr. Margotta was philosophical about his haircut. (The professionals at the Route 33s Barber Shop in Hamilton finished the job later that afternoon).
   ”It’s what the kids wanted,” Mr. Margotta said. “And I just want to give the kids what they want.”
   About 150 registered children participate each week in the township’s recreation and sports camps, which run through Aug. 12 at Sharon Elementary School. The food drive organized by the camp staff gave the children the opportunity to have fun for a good cause.
   ”I’ve done the food drive a few times,” said Mr. Keener, who has worked at the camp for 13 years. “I try to teach the kids to always give back.”
   The summer is one of the toughest times for the Robbinsville Food Pantry because children who qualify for school lunch programs are now eating at home, which strains low-income families’ grocery budgets. Although the need at food pantries increases in summertime, donations from the public are typically made at other times of the year such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
   Friday’s event was also a time for a celebration of another sort. The camp’s 10th annual “Robbinsville Idol” on Friday showcased the talents of 40 campers, who performed songs, danced, told jokes, and demonstrated their gymnastics and cheerleading skills.
   ”I talk to the kids and push the ones that want to do it,” Mr. Keener said. “I give them a lot of credit because I couldn’t get up on a stage in front of all these people … I commend them a lot.”
   This talent show is based loosely on the “American Idol” television show, but in this version there were no caustic judges or tickets to Hollywood.
   ”They were all winners,” Mr. Barker said Monday.