Still in the prime of their youth, going bald is not something that happens to many college students. But every year a small group of students give up their cherished locks for a bigger cause by participating in St. Baldrick's Foundation's Charlottesville event. On "St. Baldrick's Day" volunteers are invited to shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research. This year, six students shared their reasons for participating in the unusual fundraiser.
Chandler Hubbard
Last summer, third-year College student Chandler Hubbard jokingly promised a friend he'd participate in St. Baldrick's.
"She had long hair and at the time, my hair was fairly short," he said. Shortly after making that promise, a young member of his church died of cancer and Hubbard decided he would keep his word and shave his head in her honor.
"My hair's longer than usual right now," he said. "I keep running my hands through it - I can't imagine what it'll be like to be bald." Hubbard said he is both excited and nervous. "It's going to be bizarre; I'll probably find out that I have a weird-shaped head," he added.
Lauren Huff
Second-year Education student Lauren Huff decided to fund-raise a bit differently because she did not initially receive support from her family, she said. Instead of giving money to see Huff shave her head, donors could either vote for the choices "Shave" or "Don't Shave." Huff promised to honor whichever option raised the most money.
"I met resistance from my family - I was frustrated that they put such a high value on hair, but I decided to participate anyway," Huff said. "I thought if I made it a competition, I could get my family to donate more."
Right now, more money has gone into the "Don't Shave" option, but that may not stop Huff in the long run. She said if she does not shave her head, she would consider participating next year until her family "accepts that it's going to happen."
Sydney Delmar
For second-year College student Sydney Delmar, the choice to donate her hair was a "no-brainer" after two close childhood friends developed cancer and one passed away as a result. Although Delmar's parents initially were shocked by her decision, they finally supported her and even joked she should dye her hair a bright color before shaving, she said.
Delmar has not decided whether she will donate her hair to Locks of Love or Pantene Beautiful Lengths, both of which convert long hair into wigs for cancer patients.
Like Huff, Delmar has relied on family and friends to help her raise money and has surpassed both her first two goals, $500 and $1000 respectively, to reach a total of of $1,481.
Charles Zhao
Second-year Commerce student Charles Zhao will shed his locks in honor of a high school teacher, principal and a friend from the University who were all victims of cancer. Zhao has gotten involved in other cancer fundraisers, such as Relay for Life, but said he decided to participate in St. Baldrick's because he wanted to make more of a difference.
"I want the feeling that I really contributed to the cause and I want to motivate others to do the same," Zhao said. He said he made a spontaneous decision to participate a month ago after watching two friends go through the experience last year. Since then, Zhao has raised $1,800.
Patrick Ahern
Fourth-year Nursing student Patrick Ahern had been thinking about participating in St. Baldrick's for several years and decided this was the year to shave his head. While working in the hospital, the time Ahern spent with young cancer patients motivated him to take action, and he said he found this fundraiser unique. "[It] takes away the stigma of being bald," he said. "[Being bald] will be weird, but it won't be bad. I have a lot of respect for the girls, because I think it's a bigger deal for them."
Erin Friedlander
Second-year College student Erin Friedlander said although she'll miss her hair, part of the reason she is participating this year is because she wanted an excuse to get an extremely short haircut.\n"I've always had long hair [so] it'll be something new," said Friedlander, who is this year's second-highest fundraiser in Charlottesville at $4,436.
When asked what she hopes to gain from the experience, Friedlander answered, "it's more about giving than getting. The actual night will be a lot of fun and filled with excitement"
Read More
A second chance to dress for graduation
By Julianne Saunders | 17 hours agoI have learned to see my college graduation not as a way to make up for the past but as an event worth celebrating on its own.
How study abroad taught me to stop studying
By Grace Scott | May 10, 2024Turns out, it took attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world for me to realize there's more to life than studying.
Collyn Clark reflects on Space Workforce 2030, building an inclusive space industry
By Carly Stender | May 9, 2024Clark said programs such as the SWF 2030 internship can serve as launch pads for a career in the aerospace industry.
