Bald And Beautiful: OL Mom And Daughter Chrome Domes For St Baldrick's

OAK LAWN, IL — An Oak Lawn mother and daughter are living bald after shaving their heads to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

St. Catherine of Alexandria eighth-grader Kate Guardi, who has been shearing her locks since second grade, bet her mom, Jamie Guardi, a popular math teacher at Mother McAuley High School that she could raise $10,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

“I bet my mom after I shaved my head in seventh grade, that if I can raise $10,000 in eighth grade, she would shave her head,” Kate said, who had just come home from rehearsals for St. Catherine’s upcoming production of “101 Dalmatians” May 16 and May 17. “This is the most I’ve raised.”

Not only did Kate exceed her fundraising goal by raising $13,291, she had the pleasure of watching her mother getting her head shaved at St. Catherine’s annual St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event.

“My mom was excited to do it,” Kate told Patch.

St. Baldrick, who by the way is not a Catholic saint, was started by a group of New York businessmen in 2000. Wanting to give back in return for their own good fortune, they shaved their heads in exchange for donations for pediatric cancer research. The goal of shaving 17 heads and raising $17,000 turned into 19 bald heads and $104,000 donated to the Children’s Oncology Group. The founders kept it going and St. Baldrick’s grew. Today has raised $356 million in research grant funding.

Inspired by older classmates, Kate started shaving her head when she saw the impact St. Baldrick’s had on kids with cancer. When she was in second grade, her friend, Marty Brogan, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare cancer that afflicts 300 children in the United States a year.

“Seeing what that family had to go through and all their struggles, I don’t think it’s fair that a kid should go through it,” Kate said. “He’s good. He’s in remission now.”

To achieve her goal of raising $10,000 for this year’s shave, Kate advertised on Facebook. Her uncle did Super Bowl Squares.

“The word spread everywhere,” Kate said. “One of my friend’s aunts won.”

When she broke her $10,000 fundraising goal, Kate called in her bet with her mother.

“Last year she only raised $4,000,” Jamie said, who claims she can teach anyone 9th grade algebra – even the Patch editor. “I’m so proud of her. When it caught wind, we were getting closer and closer to $10,000. She’s so inspiring.”

On March 9, Last month, mother and daughter shaved their heads together at St. Catherine’s annual St. Baldrick’s event.

“My hair is thick and was below the shoulders,” Jamie said. “I’m going to donate mine to Children With Hair Loss.”

After enduring a cold spring that feels more like a third winter, Kate, who will join her older sisters at McAuley next year, has been wearing a lot of hats.

“Most people think it’s cool,” Kate said. “It used to feel weird, but now it feels normal.”