People go bald for a cause: cancer research

Dozens of people inside a Pompano Beach bar Saturday afternoon were sporting the same buzz cut.

It was the only style offered by four barbers during a head-shaving charity event at the 26 Degree Brewing Company. The hair-raising event was in aid of childhood cancer research through the aptly named St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization created in 1999.

The haircuts took only a couple of minutes each, a fun culmination to the monthslong gathering of donations. The target was $100,000, and within an hour of the event starting, the total was just below $70,000. By the end, they eclipsed the goal by about $1,000.

The building was full: a blend of very early St. Patrick’s Day revelers in green clothing and beads, and dozens of people who have door-knocked and telephoned throughout the year to ask for donations.

A young girl with long dirty-blonde hair sat in a barber’s chair with a smile on her face. The barber lifted tufts of her hair, jabbed at the roots with his clipper and then flipped the loose strings on the floor. In about three minutes, she was bald and posed for an “after” picture.

Beth Pinsky, the lead volunteer, started participating in the event six years ago, while her son Aaron was undergoing his last round of chemotherapy. Aaron has been cancer-free since.

About 30 people signed up to have their heads shaved and about 20 others added their names to the list as the shaving got underway, Pinsky said.

Sam Kaufman, 11, has for months asked friends and other people for donations, in person and through social media. It was his sixth year fundraising, collecting a total of about $25,000. This year he raised $4,000. And he got a haircut.

Kaufman said his inspiration is cousin, diagnosed with cancer at 6.

Kevin Brody is also a longtime participant in the event. For the past 12 years, he and his son Landon, 14, have been getting their heads shaved.

Together, and through Brody’s business, Landfall Data in Boca Raton, they’ve raised about $250,000.

“This is a great event for a great cause, and we will be back every year,” said Brody, running his hand over the top of his head.

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