My name is Frank Wagner; I’ve lived in Union County my entire life, specifically Garwood since 1995. I am writing this to bring attention to a charity that I have been participating in for the last 15 years, The St. Baldricks Foundation. They raise money for Childhood Cancer research through annual “shave-a-thons”. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it is exactly as it sounds, some charities have walk-a-thons or dance-a-thons, St. Baldricks gathers brave men and women together to get pledged donations from friends, family members and coworkers to shave their heads in solidarity with the children that lose their hair during treatment, I'm not talking cutting it short...I mean shaving completely. This charity is extremely worthwhile, and isn’t one of those that use donations for cushy perks for their board members, the Foundation makes sure the majority of the money raised goes towards research, not foundation overhead, thus they put a lot of responsibility on the “shavees” doing the legwork and getting the word out. We must remember, this disease doesn't take a break and doesn't give a break to those affected!! It doesn't seem a day goes by that you don't hear about a friend, family member, or acquaintance that is impacted by this disease. This diagnosis is heart-breaking and life-changing to all, but when it happens to a child it is magnified! In the US, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease. My sincere hope is that someone's donation might actually be the last one we will ever need, and the research being done will help to find a cure!
I am an electrician at a local pharmaceutical company; I'm also a Volunteer Firefighter for 18 years and an EMT for over 30 years. I coached soccer for 13 years with both the Cranford and Clark Soccer Clubs in the Intercounty Youth Soccer League. I am married for 22 years to Catherine, the love of my life, and we’ve been blessed with 2 beautiful daughters, Victoria & Samantha. 3 years ago my daughter Samantha also shaved her head for the charity, a bold step for such a young woman who was still in high school at the time, I’m still so proud of her to this day. As an added bonus, Samantha, now a licensed cosmetologist shaved my head along with many others at the event as a volunteer barber! I participate every 3 years, so you can probably imagine how long my hair grows in 3 years, that’s right, I haven’t paid for a haircut in 15 years! For the past few events, I have been fielding a team of fundraisers, including co-workers, friends, my daughter and my nephew. I am also a rabid hockey player and fan, therefore my fundraising team is named “Five for Fighting…Cancer”.
The event itself took place at the North Plainfield Firehouse on March 24th. If you are interested in possibly donating to help the cause, you can either go online to www.stbaldricks.org where you can search my name “Frank Wagner” and that will bring you to my page, or call the Foundation at (888) 899-2253. Please help out by making a donation on my behalf to support childhood cancer research so that all children diagnosed with cancer will have a better chance for a cure. Did you know that childhood cancer research is extremely under-funded? Please decide to do something about it by helping raise money for cures. Any amount is helpful; I’d like to thank you all in advance for your help with this worthwhile endeavor!
