In a world where a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes, a foundation like St. Baldrick’s provides much needed funding in a unique and innovative way. To participate, donors shave their heads and receive donations from family, friends and colleagues to go towards childhood cancer research. Consistent participant and IB Coordinator Mr. Baron states, “To do it, the donors really have to really think about it. They can’t just give a few dollars and move on; they have to really commit.” This intriguing demand on the shavees is what makes this fundraiser so successful. Millbrook decided to become more ‘bald and beautiful’ by hosting their own St. Baldrick’s event.
This past Saturday, Millbrook hosted its second annual St. Baldrick’s event with twenty-three registered participants dedicated to help find a cure to childhood cancers. Senior Hope Shaw, after receiving multiple “you go girl”s and “I donated”s from her fellow seniors, commented “Everyone’s like a big, bald family!”
With teachers shaving their heads along with students, it really allows for the student body to connect with their teachers. Senior English teacher, Mr. Lindsay remarked, “One of the most important things is that it’s all volunteers.” It was such a moving event that even their emcee, senior David Thomas, ended up shaving his own head!
This year’s event was expressed by many to be a big improvement in comparison to the year prior. Ms. Romano observed, “There are a lot more girls getting their hair cut and donating it to Locks of Love.” Female teachers such as Mrs. Cumming, Ms. Van Wagnen and Mrs. Collins all gave up their inches of hair to help inch the way to finding a cure to pediatric cancer.
Millbrook ended up raising over twelve thousand dollars, with multiple tears of joy, hugs and words of encouragement along the way. Sophomore Julia Vandermel gushes, “This is one of the best fundraisers at Millbrook because it raises so much money for such a wonderful cause.” The people at the event all agreed that this St Baldrick’s event was an abundance of fun and #BaldCats17 is definitely not an event to miss!