Three Generations of Local Family Shaving Heads for Cancer Benefit

Jay Holmes can't walk into his son Anthony's house in Braintree without his grandson giving him something – Band-Aids, gum, even a smoke detector.

From this, and Anthony Jr.'s excitement over getting his head shaved at Gillette Stadium for an upcoming Children's Hospital fundraiser, the grandfather of six knows that the Holmes family has sprouted another bighearted generation.

"It's not what you take from this world, it's what you give back," Jay Holmes said in a recent interview with his son and grandson, who will be four years old at the end of this month. "I tried to instill that in my kids, but they already had it."

All three generations of Holmes men are shaving their heads on June 3 for the Kids Cancer Buzz-Off, an event to raise money for One Mission, a nonprofit that funds cancer research and programs to help the families of children being treated at Children's Hospital Boston to pay for parking, meals and hotel rooms.

For more information on Team Holmes or to donate go tohttp://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/Cutting4Kids/kidscancerbuzz-off.

Jay Holmes, who has a mortgage business based in Hanover, moved from Milton to Braintree about eight years ago. Anthony followed soon after, and now runs his auto detailing company off Pond Street in Braintree. He also works full-time as a trial court officer in Roxbury.

Twenty years ago, about the time Anthony was enrolled at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, his father began to more regularly donate his time to charities. Growing up in Dorchester, Jay said he was always doing things for people, but that the deaths of several friends from cancer ramped up his giving.

"You never know when you're going to need someone to fundraise for you," he said. "It's a passion. I love to give back."

In 1994, Steven Murphy, one of Jay's best friends and an uncle figure to his kids, passed away of brain cancer after fighting through one round and running the Boston Marathon in between. Afterward, Anthony became more involved in charity work as well, eventually helping a friend with her non-profit ticket exchange organization The Seat Swap.

"Once I start something, I don't stop until I'm done," Anthony said. "We try to do as much as we can, as often as we can."

The Holmes' Buzz-Off involvement came by chance, Jay said, when he heard about it on the radio. He and Anthony both keep their hair short – Jay says he gets 52 cuts a year – but will grow it out for about a month before the fundraiser.

"I'm looking forward to it," Anthony said. "I wish it was sooner."