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A banner of one of St. Baldrick's events to shave heads across the United States. On Sunday, March 24, hundreds of people attended the St. Baldrick head shaving party in western Michigan. The volunteers aim to raise funds for pediatric cancer research. ( St Baldrick Foundation | Facebook )
More than a hundred people from West Michigan volunteered to shave their heads to raise money to support the research that will benefit children with cancer.
The annual event, called St. Baldrick's, is held on Sunday, March 24 at the Byron Center. More than 15 barbers also attended and volunteered for charities.
"We have seven families attending the event, all of whom have children who have survived cancer, which is more than what we could say a few years ago," said Pat Schrager. organizer of the event. "Some of the children who come today could not."
Support for children fighting cancer
To raise funds, people volunteer to shave their heads and a sponsor agrees to pay each cup. St. Baldrick's first took place in Michigan in 2013 and since then organizers have raised millions of dollars for cancer research in children.
The St. Baldrick National Foundation, founded in 1999, is one of the largest donors for cancer research in children. All funds raised during shaving events across the United States are dedicated to helping children affected by the disease.
"In 1978, childhood cancer was a death sentence," said Schrager. "Today, four out of five people are saved and hopefully this will continue to improve."
Last year, the St. Baldrick Foundation raised nearly $ 115,000 for cancer research in children. This year, the organizers hope to reach $ 120,000.
In addition, Steven Strauss, who was among the first to get a haircut for the charity event, said the effort was sensitizing. People who see shaved heads are interested and participate in fundraising themselves.
The St. Baldrick Foundation continues to accept donations through its website.
Pediatric Cancer in the United States
According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, one of the leading cancer research charities in children in the United States, cancer is the leading cause of death in children. Cancer is diagnosed in 43 children out of 15,780 a day.
Today, many children with cancer survive, but much remains to be done. Since the 1980s, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed to treat pediatric cancer and only 4% of the funds allocated to cancer research by the federal government are devoted to the study of pediatric cancer.
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