SWOYERSVILLE — Like son, like father.
The latest rankings in USA Mullet Championships are in and Kamden “The Kammander” Cunningham and his father, Brendan, of Swoyersville, have advanced to the final round, along with Killian Depew — “Killi Ray Cyrus” — age 3, of Avoca.
Contest voting resumes on Aug. 14, and continues to Aug. 21 — and the champions will be announced on Aug. 28.
Kamden Cunningham is again raising money for wounded veterans in his quest to become the next USA mullet champion in the ages 5-7 category.
Cunningham, the 6-year-old son of Brendan and Kelsey Cunningham of Swoyersville, entered the second round in the lead, but the competition is far from over.
You can learn more about Kamden and the contest on his Facebook page: The Kammander.
“Kamden is really excited about making it to the final round,” his mom, Kelsey, said. “He was in 9th place, but he rallied to vault into second place.”
Kelsey said The Kammander will host a fundraiser — “The Kammander’s Final Konquest” — on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Roosevelt Field in Swoyersville. She said there will be live music, face-painting, raffles, a 50-50 drawing and a mullet contest with prizes awarded. The Kammander will be a judge.
Kamden’s dad, Brendan, also entered the contest for the first time in the adult category, and he was pleasantly surprised to advance to the final round.
“I’m only doing this for fun because my kid challenged me to,” Brendan said. “We love a good, healthy competition. It doesn’t matter to me if I win or lose, but we’re having a good time and we’re all-in for Kam.”
Kamden is very serious about not just winning the contest, but raising money for Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors — a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing critically injured U.S. military veterans with injury-specific, accessible and mortgage-free homes.
‘Killi Ray’ is near the top in 0-4 age category
Killian “Killi Ray Cyrus” Depew, 3, of Avoca, will be moving on to Round 3 in this year’s mullet champ competition.
His mom, Christina, said they are also hosting an event at the Larksville American Legion Post 655, on Aug. 18, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
All proceeds will be donated to Jared Allen Homes, which builds homes mortgage-free for wounded combat veterans.
Christina said the cause is dear to Killian’s parents. His father, Andrew, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, having served during OEF/OIF (operation Iraqi freedom), and his mother, Christina, is a nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. They have been hosting local events to raise awareness for Jared Allen Homes on Killian’s behalf.
Along with raffle baskets, a 50/50 and donated gift certificates from local businesses, there will be a “Beer for a Year” raffle with a grand prize of $1,200, or a cash payout of $1,000, sponsored by Wyoming Valley Beverage Edwardsville.
“Post 655 has supported us throughout this entire competition, between raising awareness and offering us a place to host our event,” Christina said. “Veterans supporting veterans, that’s literally what it’s all about and it’s absolutely amazing to see this community come together to help!”
Killian finished in 1st place during Round 1 in the 0-4 age group, 5th place during Round 2 combined age groups 0-12. Killian has raised $4k so far, with no intent on stopping there.
Cristina’s mother — Christine Sabecky — has been employed at Post 655 for almost two decades.
“They treat us all like family, hosting events for kids year-round and giving back to our vast community of veterans,” Christina said. “We are so proud to have this community of support and they love giving back to our veterans.”
The event is open to the public, the $10 donation includes drinks and food, and ages 10 and younger are free. Kid friendly activities include balloon artist Becky Corby from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Just Plain Crazy Face paint from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.