More than ten years ago, three men did more than drink Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day. They put their heads together, and decided to shave them for charity in solidarity for kids with cancer.
“They raised over $104,000 and realized that their crazy, unique, nutty idea just might work to help to raise money,” said St. Baldrick’s Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Marc McCarthy.
Years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, people are still turning their St. Patrick’s day parties into St. Baldrick’s day events.
[scrollGallery id = 348]“I don’t think you’ll find another event like this,” said McCarthy. “It’s fun and asks people to make a personal statement for kids. Shaving their heads is an active thing. It’s easy to make a donation, but saying to the kids ‘I support you’ really makes a difference.”
For ten years, the Riviera Mexican Grill has been supporting the event, putting up tents in the parking lot and encouraging community members to go bald for children.
“It’s something easy to do to help out kids,” said Mike Colbus, a member of Team Toyota who raised $2,200 for the event.
Dr. Jerry Finklestein, medical director of the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center (JJCCC) at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, reminded the crowd that it’s not just a fun function but one which raises money that will be used to help kids with cancer.
Al Sears, who dyed his hair blue before getting it cut, hopes that by making the sacrifice to go bald it will help people understand a little bit about what the kids with cancer endure.
Joshua Kosnoff, a 12-year-old from the South Bay, shaved his hair for the first time last year and didn’t cut his hair until this year’s event. He sat in the chair, watching his long hair fall to the ground. Afterwards, his friends, who were also shaving their heads, couldn’t stop touching his smooth scalp.
“Cancer has taken a lot from my family,” Kosnoff said. “This is a way to fight back.”
Julia Hernandez, a cancer survivor and ambassador for childhood cancer, attended the event and watched over 40 people lose their hair for what she was able to survive because of the help of the foundation. During the evening, many more people dropped into the chairs than had signed up. It is estimated that the evening raised over $40,000.
“Let me tell you something,” said Finklestein. “Bald is beautiful!”
