Bald and Bold

St. Baldrick's at Northwestern raises over $10,000 for cancer research at first-ever head shaving event.

by Mia Zanzucchi

A participant looks out at the Seabuty Hall performance space while getting her head shaved. Over 20 people, including Northwestern students, members of the Evanston community and friends and family of former and current cancer patients, shaved their heads in support of the St. Baldrick's Foundation to cure childhood cancers.

St. Baldrick’s at Northwestern University held their first-ever head shaving event in Seabury Hall on Saturday, April 16, raising over $10,000 in donations for cancer research. Participants, both pre-registered and walk-ins, fundraised and donated money before shaving their heads in solidarity with children who lose their hair to cancer.

Participants shaved for a variety of reasons–some knew someone who has or had cancer and for others, the St. Baldrick’s shave was just something they and their friends did every year. Brian Liu, the head member of the St. Baldrick’s executive team, celebrated his 10th shave in 10 years, being named a Knight Commander in the League of Legendary Heroes, a title granted to return-participants in honor of their 10th shave. Other milestones include the third shave, seventh shave and 15th shave. Keaton McNamara, a member of the St. Baldrick’s executive board who also shaved her head, knighted him on stage in between participants.

Mia Zanzucchi
Northwestern University Associated Student Government President Christina Cilento shaves her head for the first time along with her mother and grandfather. Cilento said that when she was in high school, the St. Baldrick's shave was a big deal, but she was never allowed to do it becuse she was a theatre student. She donated her hair afterwards.

For Cilento, who participated with her mother and grandfather, braving the shave was a no-brainer. After seeing her brother and sister shave while she was in high school even though she wasn’t allowed to, it had always been something she wanted to do. According to her mother, Maryam Cilento, after “chickening out” several times, now that Christina could shave her head, it just made sense to go through it with her.

Some participants fundraised as much as they could, with Liu coming in as the top earner with four participants donating over $1,000 each, according to the event’s official fundraising page. Sophomore Jake Miller, who participated with members of his fraternity, let friends shave parts of his head for $5 donations, and McNamara similarly charged people in exchange for cutting her hair with scissors.

Mia Zanzucchi
Jaime DeRue, a hair stylist and manager at the Libertyville Sportclips, shaves the head of a Northwestern student. DeRue and three other Sportclips employees volunteer at shaving events around the area in their spare time.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation partners with Sportclips at shaving events nationwide. Three volunteer barbers cut and shaved at the three-hour event, including Amanda Kamick. Kamick, who has been with Sportclips for 8 years and was at her third shaving event in as many weeks, said she likes doing the charity work.

The national St. Baldrick’s Foundation aims to “conquer childhood cancers,” and the Northwestern chapter, which was founded this past January, did just that. St. Baldrick’s at Northwestern University fundraised and raised awareness of childhood cancers around campus in conjunction with Relay for Life, a 12-hour fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society. At Northwestern, students formed a student organization and applied for student activities funding just months ago. A head executive team, supported by committee members, planned the event, recruited the barbers and participants and got the word out.

Mia Zanzucchi
Members of the St. Baldrick's at Northwestern University executive team "brave the shave" as the second round of participants in Northwestern's first-annual head shaving event. The event, which lasted three hours in Seabury Hall at 2122 Sheridan Rd. raised over $10,000.