Volunteers Shave Heads for St. Baldrick's

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money to fund the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives, has issued a lofty challenge to everyone who wants to help raise money for pediatric cancer research: Be a hero for kids with cancer by shaving your head in return for pledges of financial support from friends and family.

Participants find that shaving their head in solidarity with the approximately 160,000 children who are diagnosed with cancer each year and frequently lose their hair as a result of treatment, is a small sacrifice in comparison to what these children endure.

On Saturday, April 16, 2011 over 100 people will shave their heads to help Conquer Kids’ Cancer! The event will be held locally on the campus of North Central College/Merner Fieldhouse, with an estimated attendance of over 500 people.

The head-shavings will commence at 6:00P.M. In addition to the multitude of people shaving their heads to fight pediatric cancer, there will be several raffle items to raise funds for this great cause.  Food and soft drinks will be available at a very low price courtesy of and , both located in Naperville, IL and the Pepsico Corporation.

Dr. Charles Rubin of the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital will attend along with several special guests, children and families benefiting from the research funded by St. Baldrick’s grants and fellowships.  There will be a number of “Knights of the Bald Table” recognized. A person becomes eligible for this honor when they have shaved their head for 7 years or more at a St. Baldrick’s event.   It is estimated to take eight weeks for one’s hair to grow back after it is shaved, meaning that those shaving seven years have been bald for about one full year. 

This will be the 7^th year for the Naperville Public Service St. Baldricks event.  Over $600,000.00 has been raised the past 6 years and well over 500 people have shaved their heads to raise funds to combat pediatric cancer.  If you are interested in participating as a shavee, volunteer or simply would like to make a donation please go to www.StBaldricks.org and click on the “Naperville Public Service” event.

About the St. Baldrick’s Foundation

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors. The Foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is grateful to its many volunteers (bald or not!), donors and sponsors, including Allied World, Barbicide, Dowling & Partners, elope, Markit, and PartnerRe. For more information about St. Baldrick’s, please call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.