Every year, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation supports childhood cancer research through a variety of fundraising activities. On Friday, March 10, 5pm-9pm, St. Baldrick’s Northwest Tucson will contribute to these efforts by hosting their annual Shave-Off at Mountain View High School, part of Marana Unified School District. To recognize and build support for this occasion, the Marana Town Council plans to proclaim March 10, 2017 as St. Baldrick’s Day in the Town of Marana.
St. Baldrick’s distinguishes itself from similar organizations with its relentless focus on directing funds to researchers studying childhood cancers. With cancer as the top disease killer of children and young adults in the United States, St. Baldrick’s aims to achieve the bold goal of ending this scourge, a mission which the Town of Marana wholeheartedly supports.
Head shaving events like the one at Mountain View High School on March 10 have become the signature initiative of St. Baldrick’s. Their first Shave Off, intended as a one-time gathering, occurred in New York in 2000. Hoping to raise $17,000 by shaving 17 heads, organizers were energized when they took in over $100,000. Since that auspicious start, St. Baldrick’s has donated over $200 million in grants that support childhood cancer research.
Volunteer Event Organizer Chris Dow is especially eager to see the turnout at the event in March. After hosting a similar event last year at Quail Run Elementary School, he expects to see significant growth at this year’s Shave-Off. “We had a couple of hundred people that came and showed their support. So when people see us around town with our St. Baldrick's shirts on or buttons saying ‘Ask me why I'm bald’ or ‘Bald by Choice,’ we hope to get the conversation going to help raise awareness and raise additional funds.”
Those interested in participating can sign up or donate at https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/gobaldtucson2017. The Town of Marana is proud to support St. Baldrick’s in working to end childhood cancers so that all youth have the opportunity to lead healthy lives and grow up to make our community stronger.
