Westport-Weston Family Y Hosts St. Baldrick's Event, March 29

An announcement from the Westport-Weston Family Y:

Bald is beautiful, especially when it’s a heartfelt sign of support for children battling cancer.

On Sunday, March 29, the Westport Weston Family YMCA will host the 11th Annual TeamBrent St. Baldrick’s Celebration at its new Bedford Family Center at 14 Allen Raymond Ln. in Westport.

In what has become an iconic, ongoing effort to raise awareness and funds to help fight childhood cancer, participants in a St. Baldrick’s event shave their heads in exchange for donations.

It’s a simple concept, a fun time and strikingly effective. Since the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s first grants as an independent charity in 2005, it has funded more than $154 million to support childhood cancer research. The Foundation now funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.

Taking place in the Family YMCA’s Gymnasium from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, this free, community-wide event will feature opening ceremonies with MSG Sportscaster Deb Placey and live entertainment from DJ E-Train, plus head painting, complementary studio photography and lots of special attention for our “shavees.”

What’s more, our Baldrick’s guests are welcome to stay and use the Family YMCA for the day. Young children can enjoy our Kids’ Club and Fort Mack playscape. Bring swim suits and towels and have fun in our shallow warm-water family pool, with its Splash Pad play area for pre-swimmers, Aqua Hoops for teens and tweens and more. The Family YMCA’s 14-ft. tall Aquatic Climbing Wall – the first in the state of Connecticut – will also be available for play in the deep end of the 10-lane lap pool.

Attendees are encouraged to pre-register for the event at www.stbaldricks.org/events/TeamBrent. Next, ask friends and family for financial support – and invite them to see you go bald on March 29 at the Family YMCA.

“Everybody loves to see that newly shaved bald head, and it shows one and all that this is something that truly matters,” says Dana McCreesh, an active Family YMCA member and co-founder of TeamBrent.

In 2004, Dana and her husband, Michael, got the news that no parent ever wants to hear. Their two-year-old son, Brent, was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a cancer of the central nervous system.

Over the next two years, Brent endured a dozen surgeries, six rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants to remove tumors in his abdomen and bone marrow. Today, Brent is a survivor, a happy and healthy sixth-grader, but the fight for other children battling cancer goes on.

Worldwide, more than 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year.

In the U.S., one in five children diagnosed with cancer will not survive. Currently, children cancer research funding accounts for less than 4 percent of all cancer research funding allotted by the federal government.

Based in Fairfield, the TeamBrent group grew out of efforts by family and friends looking for ways to support Brent and other children like him.

After hearing of the St. Baldrick’s organization, a few friends volunteered to shave their heads for Brent. Michael McCreesh joined in, and at their first event in 2005, 23 people shaved their heads and raised $87,000 for St. Baldrick’s.

At last year’s event, held at Fairfield’s Tomlinson Middle School, some 220 people got their heads shaved by teams of professional barbers and stylists, cheered on by hundreds of friends and family members. To date, TeamBrent has raised $3.4 million for St. Baldrick’s and $7.3 million overall.

“What’s neat about our St. Baldrick’s events is that nearly 60 percent of the shavees are kids, mostly boys, ages 5 to 15,” says Dana. “Expect organized chaos, many pictures being taken and a whole lot of laughter.”

Some of the TeamBrent shavees have now been participating for years, with those involved for at least seven years honored as a St. Baldrick’s Knight.

“We have been honored to “Knight” nearly 50 people at our events to date, and will be recognizing more at this year’s opening ceremonies,” Dana says. “We see kids who have shaved their heads each year for over half their life. They’re growing up knowing that they can make a difference and that they have the power to help other people in a very personal way.”

Shavees at this year’s TeamBrent St. Baldrick’s Celebration will receive a T-shirt and hat. Heidi Curran will be providing complementary studio photography for the fifth year; Laurie Wright for the third year; and Ben Sachs will be the roving photographer for the ninth year.

“This is a wonderful community event that represents all that our Family YMCA is about – developing and nurturing youth, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility,” says Jay Jaronko, Senior Program Director. “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming TeamBrent and St. Baldrick’s and all who support their efforts to conquer childhood cancer.”

For details about the 11th Annual TeamBrent St. Baldrick’s Celebration at the Family YMCA on March 29, please visit teambrent.com or stbaldricks.org. For directions, schedules and other information about the Westport Weston Family YMCA, please visit westporty.org.