FAIRHOPE, Ala. — With Deputy Barney Fife looking down from the wall, Kenny Feely cuts a boy’s hair in 1999 at the landmark Ken and Vernon’s Barber Shop in downtown Fairhope. Several generations have sat in Feely’s chair since he first started cutting hair there in 1977, but his chair has been empty for several months following his diagnosis of bone marrow cancer earlier this year. A benefit to help Feely with the expenses of treatment and loss of income will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Monday, June 1, at Fly Creek Cafe at 831 N. Section St. For a minimum donation of $10, guests will receive a “big plate of shrimp, ‘taters & corn,” according to flyers for the Kenny Feely Shrimp Boil Benefit displayed in many storefront windows. Local singer/songwriter John Reno will provide entertainment, and organizers expect a crowd of more than 300 people at the waterfront location. “When the self-employed get sick, the paychecks stop and the expenses go up,” said Roland Neeson, one of the main organizers of the event, as one of the reasons for the benefit. Another is because of what Feely and Ken and Vernon’s have meant to the city. “It’s an old-fashioned barber shop, and there aren’t many of those left,” Neeson said. “His barber shop is an integral part of what makes downtown Fairhope so special.”

Feely said this week that he is feeling well and plans to attend the event with several family members.

Advance tickets can be be purchased at Ken and Vernon’s Barber Shop, Page and Palette Bookstore, Fairhope Hardware, Mary Ann’s Deli, First National Bank of Baldwin County, Post Net and from Roland Neeson. For more information, call Neeson at 591-2568 or Will Carlton at 975-7099. Checks can also be made out to Kenny Feely Benefit and mailed to: PBR 123, 10 N. Section St., Fairhope, AL 36532.