Hurricane, high gas prices cut Bald is Beautiful convention

The Associated Press

Hair, or the lack of it, is a second priority this year for the Bald-Headed Men of America.

The 32nd annual Bald is Beautiful Convention, scheduled for Morehead City this weekend, has been canceled because of Hurricane Katrina.

Founder John Capps says the organization had members from Mississippi and Alabama who were killed in the storm and others who live in the Gulf Coast region that was hit by the hurricane.

He also says concerns about the price and availability of gasoline in the aftermath of the storm also played a part in the decision.

Capps says rather than proceed with the convention, he's encouraging members to donate their convention funds or volunteer their time to hurricane relief efforts.