Emily Johnson, Staff Writer~
St. Baldrick’s Foundation states their mission is to “conquer childhood cancers,” and over the past 12 years, the foundation has managed to raise $230 million in the effort to do this.
The foundation was originally started on a St. Patrick’s Day in 2000 when 19 people shaved their heads to raise awareness for the truth about childhood cancer. The event raised $109,000, which went towards developing research methods for eradicating this disease.
Students at Lynchburg College decided to shave their heads to raise awareness. Some of these students include juniors Owen Mick, Holt Turk and Michael Dunmeyer. Another student who participated is first-year Bea Kelly-Russo, who is also raising money for the foundation.
According to St. Baldrick’s website, the goal of the program is not to just shave heads, but also to allow people to make an impact by donating.
“Because kids with cancer often lose their hair during treatment, ‘shavees’ for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation show their support by shaving their heads voluntarily, and inspiring friends and family to donate money to support childhood cancer research,” the website states as motivation for people to also participate.
They claim the process is easy, with four simple steps. The first step is to find a local event and sign up, start a fundraiser, and then shave your head. The next closest event to LC is located in Glen Allen, Va. at Innsbrook Pavilion on Mar. 17, 2018. For information on how to sign up to be a “shavee,” see https://www.stbaldricks.org/ for information.
