Shaving The Way to Conquer Kids Cancer

The title of this post is the Motto for St. Baldrick's Foundation. I just signed up to have my head shaved as part of an all volunteer fundraiser! Yes, I will be bald! Not kidding! 

First a little background information taken directly from their media kit.  

Our Mission - The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. About the Foundation
• What began as a challenge between friends in 2000 has grown into the world’s largest volunteer-driven fund-raising opportunity benefiting childhood cancer research.
• Since 2000, more than 146 million USD has been raised for childhood cancer research, including more than 27 million USD raised so far in 2012.
• The St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.
• In 2011, St. Baldrick’s awarded more than 21 million USD in grants.

I first thought of doing this about a year ago when my friend Mike did it. When he did it again this year and I couldn't contribute I felt bad. Then I realized that there are so many charities out there that my friends are participating in, and I wanted to do something.  Luckily I do not personally know any child that has any type of cancer, but being a Mom this really strikes home for me.

So WHY am I shaving my head? What flipped the switch and made me choose? First it was one woman - Lani Viovod. She did it this past weekend and really sealed the deal for me with her posts and videos.  Second, I really wanted to find a charity that was doing something really interesting to get everyone's attention. I wanted it to be fun, and to have a lot of ways to help, not just with money.  I'll write about all the different ways people can help with just one event in later posts.

So far the reactions have ranged from "You are amazing" to "Are you nuts?!" In the end, its just hair. I might look funny for awhile, but it will grow back. My only fear is that people think I'm sick after I've had it done, and I really want to make sure that everyone knows I'm not. It's a sign of support for the kids who have lost their hair. 

I hope you join me in my journey, whether its as a donor, a fellow shavee, a volunteer or even a reader.  I welcome the comments and questions and will try to answer them as best I can.  Please take a minute to watch the video I attached, its very moving. 

I will post my webpage so you can check it out. If you can donate even $1 towards the goal, I would love it. If any companies are interested in helping, please contact me through the Patch. Also, I would love to do this in Honor of a Child. There are some amazing kids on the website but if you know of anyone who lives in Woburn that would be even better.  Thank you!

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/maureenc

Download the movie