Ladies with long locks and men with messy manes united at St. John’s University on Tuesday, March 2 to fight childhood cancer by shaving their heads or donating their hair to children in need.
“I’m honored to be here,” said St. John’s alumnus John Bender, who is the co-founder, president, and CEO of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation (SBF). “For people to shave their heads is a wonderful thing. Both St. John’s and St. Baldrick’s are close to my heart.”
The hair affair brought together 21 volunteer participants and some walk-ins, as well as a slew of intrigued students and staff. The event was hosted by SBF, the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research, and Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
“I did this mainly because of Lent,” said freshman student Hannah Gutierrez. “I couldn’t figure out what to give up. I love my hair, so I decided to give that up. It was the perfect opportunity.”
Angela Seegel, event coordinator, said the event was the perfect opportunity to bring the two organizations and students together.
“Locks of Love and St. Baldrick’s Foundation are two separate organizations,” Seegel said. “They have two separate missions, one for childhood cancer and the other to provide hair for children. So it’s nice to bring them together.”
All the participants were asked to raise money for childhood cancer research through the SBF prior to the event in addition to shaving their heads. Others had the option of cutting their hair in support of Locks of Love’s mission.
Junior student Jessica Roman said she loved her waist-length hair, but was willing to sacrifice it.
“One of my friends in my building was insisting I should do it because it’s for a good cause,” Roman said.
DiRosa Haircrafters of Franklin Square and Deluxe Barbers of Jamaica provided the haircuts for all of the participants.
“This is the first time we’re doing this and it’s really for a great cause, especially for the children,” said Georgiy Alayev, owner of Deluxe Barbershop. “It’s important for research to be done and to find a solution for treatment.”
The event hit close to home for some students, including sophomore Michael Telles.
“My great-grandma had liver cancer, so I’ve been trying to do some things involved with different cancer organizations,” Telles said. “Last semester I participated in the Yankee Stadium Walk and this was another great way to get involved.”
Bender said the turnout for the event was “fantastic.” Since the founding of St. Baldrick’s in 2000, the organization has raised more than $74 million in all 50 states and 24 countries. Over 130,000 people have volunteered to participate in St. Baldrick’s events, and Bender said that people shaving their heads is so much more than wonderful.
“It’s important to give back and serve the community,” he said. “When you get students involved, they’ll take it back for the rest of their lives. It’s pretty important for them to be a part of something when they’re young.”
To become a “shavee” or find a St. Baldrick’s event near you, visit www.stbaldricks.org. To find out how to donate your hair through Locks of Love, visit www.locksoflove.org.
