Going Bald for Some Green

Participating students each raise money to meet a funding goal before shaving their head.

March 2011

This coming March a few Quinnipiac students will take a bit off the top.

In association with the St. Baldrick's Foundation, students plan to shave their heads to help raise funds to combat childhood cancer. Participants take on the appearance of a child undergoing cancer treatment, and show that people care about their fight.

Participating students each raise money to meet a funding goal before shaving their head.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is the largest volunteer-based cancer fundraising program in the nation. The foundation has about 147,000 volunteers, and has risen over $90 million for cancer research since it began in 2000.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation began on March 17, 2000 when founders John Bender, Tim Kenny and Enda McDonnell turned their St. Patrick's Day office party into an event for childhood cancer.

Twenty people agreed to shave their heads for the event, with a monetary goal of $17,000. Miraculously $104,000 was raised. The St. Baldricks foundation began as a pun on baldness and St. Patrick's Day, and evolved into one of the largest cancer fundraising organizations.

Quinnipiac's goal for this year was to raise $8,000. Students have already raised $10,000 and still have a few weeks to expand on these numbers.

"Kids should be outside playing, not spending their lives in the hospital," said sophomore nursing major and participating student, Thomas Booth. "I figure my small amount that I [raise] will help a child somewhere, or possibly in the future."

It is clear that the St. Baldrick's Foundation does some amazing work in the fight against childhood cancer.

The buzz within the Quinnipiac community shows that St. Baldrick's gets people fired up about the ongoing battle against cancer. What makes St. Baldrick's different than other organizations is the life change.

 

It is one thing to simply donate to cancer research, but it is an entirely different act to make a drastic change in appearance. In this manner participants are directly affected by their efforts, and can really help to raise a lot of awareness for the issue.

The St. Baldrick's approach also creates a fun atmosphere around the movement. People volunteering to shave their heads have fun doing something different from the norm. This attitude keeps people optimistic about cancer research and can be a tremendous boost to children suffering from the disease. Oftentimes it can mean the world to these children seeing that people do care about them and are working towards a cure.

With continued efforts from the St. Baldrick's Foundation and enthusiasm from participants childhood cancer can be beat.

Bald is beautiful, but welcomed as a choice.

To make a donation, please visit Quinnipiac's donation page.

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