McKena Miyashiro |
Sixty-five more UP students are walking around campus bald this week. On March 21, students shaved their heads to spread awareness of childhood cancer as part of the first-ever on-campus event through St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
UP raised also $7,652: $1,900 from the head-shaving event and talent show on the 21st and $5,752 through online fundraising. People are still able to donate to the event via St. Baldrick's website.
“I'm just so happy that we were able to help out in any way possible and able to get the buy-in from the university and the huge support from all these people who didn’t really know about the foundation,” junior Derek Boggs said.
Though the men's soccer team has participated in St. Baldrick's events off-campus since 2009, junior Derek Boggs coordinated the event to be on campus for the first time this year.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation promotes awareness of childhood cancer through charitable fundraising that supports research to fight the disease. According to St. Baldrick's Foundation, more children die from cancer in the U.S. than any other disease. Unfortunately, childhood cancer receives only 4 percent of U.S. federal funding for research. St. Baldrick's Foundation is hoping to augment this funding.
Over the past few months, the UP men’s soccer team has been accepting donations via St. Baldrick's website to raise money for the organization. Their efforts culminated with St. Baldrick's signature event: head-shaving. “Shavees” shave their heads to stand in solidarity for children with cancer, many of whom lose their hair during treatment.
After months of planning, Boggs was both excited and relieved for the actual event to take place outside of Buckley Center Auditorium. Following the shavings, the athletic teams put on a talent show in the auditorium.
In the audience were Joe Farrar and his son Ramsey, who are strong participants in St. Baldrick’s events throughout Portland. In 2009, Ramsey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: The year that the men’s soccer team met the Farrars at their first shaving event. Ramsey’s dad, Joe, wanted to support his son’s undergoing chemotherapy by also shaving his head. As of February 2009, Ramsey is cancer free.
"It's been a thing of our team of giving back … one to Ramsey and his dad, Joe, cause they're great and support the team. And the reason I brought it here on campus was because I knew the buy-in would be great here," Boggs said.
Boggs was also very excited to have so many walk-ins on the day of the event. Sophomore Joe Cahill was one of these walk-ins.
“I'm not a cancer patient but I suppose it can be a big deal for them just to show our empathy,” Cahill said.
There were also five women walk-ins that chose to shave their heads in support
"I love when we get a girl to buy into it. They're such an inspiration and a rockstar and the message that they send to a little girl who has cancer is huge," Boggs said.
Volunteer sophomore Kelsey Kincaid chose not to shave her head, but was able to surpass her fundraising goal of $250 by raising awareness about St. Baldrick's Foundation.
"I think cancer is a thing that a lot of people have either dealt with directly in their family or through close friends. It's so prevalent and it's something that touches close to home. Especially childhood cancer," Kincaid said.
Boggs is exciting for the St. Baldrick’s event to become an annual staple at UP.
"Now it's going to be something that we do every year that's kind of a part of the DNA of this university,” Boggs said.
