By CHRISTOPHER SURPRENANT
Managing Editor
Members of the Saint Rose community came out last Wednesday to shave their heads in support of the fight against childhood cancer. Those who cut their curls amassed donations over the course of several months to put toward cancer research, giving their new haircuts a very special meaning. Reaching and surpassing the fundraising goal, this year’s Saint Baldrick’s Day event was a success in every way.
The shaving of heads began at 11 a.m. and continued on throughout the day until 6 p.m. with performances by The Other Guys, The Girls Next Door, and The Golden Notes. As the day continued, participants and onlookers were able to buy baked goods, T-shirts, and wristbands to support the cause.
Even the day’s entertainment participated beyond keeping spirits high and energetic. The Golden Notes, Saint Rose’s co-ed a cappella group, and The Girls Next Door, Saint Rose’s all-girl group, had members who volunteered to shave their heads. From The Golden Notes, Carly Dunne shed her hair for the cause. The Girls Next Door had two members, Meghan Mallon and Carly Weller.
Mallon and Weller had very personal reasons for participating in this year’s event. “Both our grandmothers died [of cancer] over the summer, so we bonded over that. We wanted to do it in honor of them,” Mallon said.
In addition to paying tribute to their grandmothers, Weller also participated because she has previously participated in other similar fundraisers. “I decided to do it in memory of Brave Will, a little boy who lost his fight [with cancer] at six months old. My school did a lot of volunteer work for the organization his family set up,” she said.
Mallon and Weller’s dedication was especially evident at this year’s event. They started fundraising together over the summer, using social media to their advantage. Not only did the pair advertise their goals on Facebook, but they made a promotional video and posted it on YouTube. Within the first day they posted the video, they had 500 views and received over $500 in donations. As of Wednesday morning, Mallon raised roughly $3,000 and Weller raised around $2,000 for a combined total of over $5,000.
Students were not the only ones participating in this year’s event. Vice President of Student Affairs Dennis McDonald and Dean of Spiritual Life Fr. Chris DeGiovine were among the first to shave their heads.
“I shaved my head to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer,” DeGiovine said. “And, in my work as a priest, I’ve had to bury too many children because of cancer.”
Specifically, DeGiovine participated in Saint Baldrick’s Day this year to honor three children he knew who lost their fight: Nick, Maura, and Barbara. Honoring those who lost their fight with cancer was a common theme among many of the participants.
Tess Thapalia, a freshman at the College, shaved her head for the first time. “My good friend and my grandma died [of cancer] four years ago, so I wanted to do this to honor these two people who shaped me as a person,” Thapalia said.
Aideen Hanlon, co-planner of Saint Baldrick’s Day, was impressed with this year’s turnout. “This is a relatively new event for the Community Service Office. It’s only our fourth year [of hosting Saint Baldrick’s Day]. A lot of students have been affected by cancer, so it’s a great way to spread awareness,” said Hanlon.
At 12 p.m., Hanlon said that the goal of raising $10,000 had already been exceeded. Figures were already over $13,000. Although Hanlon was expecting to close the day with around $15,000, the total at the day’s end surpassed even that lofty ambition.
Saint Baldrick’s Day at The College of Saint Rose raised $16,180.34.
