Students shave their heads for cancer research
Thirty-four Souderton Area High School students and teachers came together and raised more than $10,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a charity that raises money for pediatric cancer research. To raise the money, they had to do just one thing: shave their heads.
The Souderton Area group was one of a handful of teams participating in the third-annual shaving event, which took place Saturday afternoon at MaGerks Pub & Grill in Fort Washington. At the start of the event, the teams had raised a combined $41,799 for cancer research. They added to that number at MaGerks by selling raffle tickets and collecting cash donations from the crowd, all to get to their fundraising goal of $50,000.
Groups across the country hold more than 1,300 head-shaving events every year, according to St. Baldrick’s website. Although the hair itself doesn’t benefit cancer research, it’s symbolic of the many children who lose their hair to cancer.
Mark Mazurek, a health and physical education teacher at the high school, served as team captain for the Souderton crew. This is the first year he’s been involved in the fundraising, he said, and also the first time he’s ever shaved his head. “It’s for such a good cause,” he said of the event.
Most of the Souderton boys’ varsity soccer team members volunteered to shave their heads, Mazurek said, as well as three freshman girls. Before the girls shaved their heads, they cut off eight to 10 inches of hair that would be donated to create wigs for pediatric cancer patients.
To learn more about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and their popular head-shaving events, visit www.stbaldricks.org.