One proud dad: Father of Colts cheerleader speaks about daughter's new haircut

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Two Colts Cheerleaders received national attention Sunday when they shaved their heads during the third quarter of the Colts game against Buffalo at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Rusty M.'s daughter, Megan, is one of the cheerleaders who shaved her head to support Coach Chuck Pagano and his battle against Leukemia.

"She's very giving as far as when it comes to charities, and that has a lot to do with her background in Miss Indiana, Miss America pageant," Rusty said.

• ONLINE EXTRA | Hear from Megan after her ChuckStrong cut

Rusty said the outpouring of support after the cut has been overwhelming, and he is one proud father. He said she got the idea to shave her head in a dream, and when she was asked by the mascot 'Blue' to shave her head, she decided to make it a charitable event.

The goal was to raise $10,000, but the final count was more than $22,000.

"A couple cancer survivors came up to her and said they appreciated what she did," Rusty said. "That's the payoff for her right there."

Megan shaved her head with her entire family and boyfriend by her side. She donated the hair to "Locks of Love."

"Once she puts her mind to certain things, it's kind of hard to sway her differently, so she had no doubts whatsoever," Rusty said.

But, there is one thing she won't be able to do with her new hairdo.

"The whipping of the hair," Rusty said. "She has to make sure she doesn't through her neck out or anything like that because she has nothing to flip right now."

Rusty said this will be Megan's third and final year cheering for the Colts, and this was a perfect ending to her last season.

"She's got a lot of other things she likes to do, and it's like another chapter in her life that she can put a close to, and she's had some great experiences," Rusty said.

The other Colts cheerleaders threw a party for Megan a week ago and gave her hats, scarves, and jewelry.

She now has plenty to accessorize with her new haircut.