The Kenai Peninsula held a St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving Event last Thursday at the KPC commons, thanks to the leadership and passion of a KPC student and activities organizer for the student union Amber Sweetland. The “Brave the Shave” for childhood cancer research is a fund raiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. “It’s been an amazing event with the help of the community we’ve had live music and delicious tacos made fresh right here by Yo Taco who donated their time and the local roller derby girls were here doing face painting so it’s been pretty exciting,” said Sweetland prior to going under the clippers herself.

St. Baldrick’s began as a head-shaving event in 1999 and that continues to be the signature event of the Foundation. “Shavees℠” ask friends and family to make donations “on their head” and in return, they attend one of thousands of volunteer-organized events around the world where they have their heads shaved in solidarity with kids fighting cancer. Since 2000 more than 390,000 shavees—including more than 49,000 women—have shaved their heads at 9,000 events, raising critical funds for childhood cancer research. “St. Baldrick’s is a foundation one can truly be proud to get behind because 80% of every dollar raised goes directly to childhood cancer research, experimental research that really looks for cures so we can end this. Right now I’m told a child is diagnosed with cancer in the United States every three minutes. That’s pretty sobering, so we’re working hard to just raise a little money to show we really care and to let the kids know who are battling cancer we’re fighting with them,” said Sweetland, who estimated that the evening would bring in close to $3,000 dollars for St. Baldrick’s. “I’ll be very proud to walk around bald the next few months, even though I may be a little cold in this weird Alaskan weather, but when folks ask what’s going on with your hair it’ll give me an opportunity to tell everyone about this amazing organization and what we are doing to cure childhood cancer,” she said. Donations may continue to made for this year’s Brave to Shave event by contacting Sweetland at 907-262-0339 or by visiting stbaldricks.org. and looking up the Kenai event.