Lockport VFW To Host St. Baldrick's Event To Fight Kids Cancer

LOCKPORT, IL — Local residents are shaving their heads for a good cause as St. Patrick’s Day approaches and that will be celebrated in an upcoming event that will support the fight against childhood cancer.

The Lockport VFW will host a St. Baldrick’s Foundation event on Saturday, March 13 as part of a local fundraising event that has already raised more than $14,000 as of Friday.

The St. Patrick’s Day-themed event will begin at 11 a.m. on March 13 and will include Irish music and dancing, bagpipes and drums, live music, corned beef and cabbage dinner, and other events. The VFW is located at 1026 E. 9th St. in Lockport.

The VFW Hall has partnered with the Illinois State Troopers Lodge and the Ridge and Downes law firm in Chicago in the event, which is the first of its kind at the Lockport VFW Post, event organizer Michael Collins told Patch on Friday.

"It's been pretty amazing," Collins said of the support he has seen since the event was announced.

"It makes you feel great and every time you see those dollars go up on (the event) website it's really exciting to be able to give back to any childhood charity."

According to the event page, 37 participants representing six teams have already surpassed the original fundraising goal of $10,000. Organizers are hoping that the St. Patrick’s Day event will help provide even more money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Collins hopes the event, which is a cross-over event in connection with St. Patrick's Day, will raise awareness for St. Baldrick's.

"It's really generating a lot of talk around town and the nice thing about it is that people are going to get introduced to St. Baldrick's that really don't know anything about it," said Collins, who also manages the Lockport VFW. "They've heard of it, they've seen it around but have never been to an event. People will come in and people are shaving their heads and people get to see what it's all about."