RACINE COUNTY — Ezekiel “Zeke” Rapinchuks‘ hair is all business in the front and party in the back. The three-year-old from Caledonia is rocking a mullet while working to raise donations for Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, all while attempting to become the next USA Mullet Champion.
Currently, the spunky kid who sports a blonde mullet is in the running to advance to the Top 25 of the 2023 Kids Mullet Digital Contest but needs the public’s help to advance to the next round.
He’s known as the Mischievous Phoenix online.
For this young one, rocking a mullet is all he’s ever known and now he’s using his locks for good.
Stephanie Rapinchuks, Zeke’s mother, explained to the Racine County Eye that for years the family has wanted to get Zeke involved in a mullet pageant or contest.
Now, he’s in one and it benefits a cause dear to the family’s heart.
“He always says he’s helping hurt soldiers,” says Rapinchuks.
Money raised works to benefit wounded warriors and their families through adaptive housing and other opportunities.
“The intention is to rally the communities around the kids,” too, explains Zeke’s mom.
Attitude of a mullet champion
Zeke was born with a free spirit and a mullet that took shape naturally, and now the family is stoked to share his story.
Not only has Zeke made his way through life by walking to the beat of his own drum, carrying a hairdo not worn by many, but he’s also learned to navigate through hardship in just three short years of life.
“Zeke started out life having double pneumonia at three months old. It took two months to fight his way through it, just in time for Covid to come in and change life for us all. Because most of his first few years of life were spent in what felt like a sheltered alternate universe, he spent as much time as he could outside,” reads in his entry for the mullet contest.
In true Zeke fashion, you’ll find him roughing it in a pair of overalls, with no shirt, and with an unwavering amount of pride for who he is and his style.
While he’s on his way hoping to become the next mullet champion, he’s carrying over his winning attitude and champion spirit that has gotten him through life thus far.
Vote for Caledonia’s own
“It’s a lot of camaraderie, very much like the military,” says Zeke’s mom about the competition.
With a hope to continue onto the next round in order to keep giving to service members, votes are encouraged by the family until Sunday.
Donations are not required but are accepted on the same page as Ezekiel’s voting page.
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