Lincoln’s sixth annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser will take place at the Railyard on Friday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m. Volunteers will take the stage to have their heads professionally shaved, all to raise money for childhood cancer research. Event organizers hope to raise $25,000 and shave 50 heads during the event.
Volunteer shavees are needed to show solidarity with children who often lose their hair during cancer treatment. Shavees raise funds through donations, and other individuals and organizations can participate by donating directly or helping to sponsor the event. Anyone interested in joining the fight against childhood cancer can sign up to shave or donate at the event website, ShaveALife.org. In addition to head-shaving, local families affected by childhood cancer will share their stories. Since it began, the event hosted by Firespring has raised more than $100,000 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation (stbaldricks.org).
Worldwide, more than 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s Foundation has funded more than $175 million in research grants for the treatment of childhood cancer. With only 4% of all federal cancer research funding dedicated to pediatric cancer research, St. Baldrick’s Foundation grant funds are critical to continue the battle against this devastating disease.