CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Retired Charlotte firefighter Glenn Garris set out on a shopping spree Friday morning, planning to use money he won in a bet to buy coats for needy children.

“For somebody that's never had kids, this is an experience for me,” he said.

The bet was that he couldn't go a year without a haircut. He has the ponytail to prove he did it, and his firefighting buddy paid him $500 for the effort. Friends pitched in too, so Garris now has $1,500 to spend.

“Just think about it -- if you were outside right now as cold as it is without proper clothing on, how cold you would be?” Garris said.

He set about shopping with a strategy -- hit the clearance racks.

“30 percent off the regular price, so we'll get the most for our buck,” he explained.

Plus the store gave him an extra discount because of what he's doing, which means he got a lot of coats.

Target team leader Luke Montsinger said this kind of generosity is inspiring.

“Usually after Christmas time the spirit dies, and it's great to see that people are still in that giving spirit that they want to come out and help the people in need,” he said.

But even with the money gone, Garris is not done helping. He's trying to raise more money to buy even more coats.

“I'm open to have my head shaved, my mustache shaved and my beard shaved, and the money will go into buying more coats for kids,” he told those at Target.

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