Kappa Sigma fraternity will host its annual “Be Bald, Beat Cancer” charity event on Thursday, April 18 from 3 p.m.-7 p.m on the Mag Quad.
Photo courtesy of curesearchwalk.org
People donate money on behalf of the participants who sign up to have their heads shaved . All of the money raised goes to CureSearch, a charity that funds research for curing childhood cancer. The shaved heads are in recognition of childhood cancer patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy.
Losing your hair as a kid going through chemotherapy can be “traumatizing,” Wake Forest Barber Dean Shore said. The idea is to show these kids that “they’re not alone.”
While many of the participants would normally prefer to keep their hair on the longer side, they understand that this is no ordinary buzz cut.
“All I have to do is lose my hair for a month and I could change someone’s life,” Kappa Sig Philanthropy Chair Brian Aller said. “It is definitely worth it to me.”
“Dealing with a shaved head really isn’t that much of an inconvenience when you look at it with some perspective,” Kappa Sig President Paul Shumaker said.
Kappa Sig hosts the event, but participation is open to anyone. Even people not affiliated with the university are welcome to participate, Shore said.
Last year, 40 people shaved their heads and raised $8,000. Shore promised that if donations exceeded the $5,000 goal, he would shave his head, and he did. His same offer is on the table for this year’s $8,000 goal.
Still almost two weeks away, 45 people have already signed up to participate and more than $5,200 has been donated.
“I think we can make it to $10,000,” Shumaker said.
The event has taken off in popularity over the past few years. Before last year, the event raised approximately $1,000 per year and took place on Kappa Sig’s lounge instead of the Mag Quad. Shore’s involvement has been instrumental in taking the philanthropy project to a new level.
“Dean is the heart and soul of the entire operation,” Aller said. “He makes the webpage on the CureSearch website (where people can donate money), he constantly advertises the event and its participants on Facebook, and he obviously makes it all happen on the day by shaving everyone’s head.”
“The most incredible part of the event is the fact that by doing so little, we can raise so much money for a great cause,” Shumaker said. “Every year, I’m blown away by how generous everyone who donates to the event is.”
The progress that has been made in one generation’s time encourages Shore.
“Thirty-five years ago when I was a kid, if a kid got cancer in first or second grade, they died,” Shore said. “The survival rate then was seven percent. Now, it’s right around 80 percent. Today, because of funding and research, when a parent is told that horrible ‘C’ word with their child, it’s not a death sentence.”
If you would like to keep up with the event’s fundraising efforts or donate yourself, you can do so here.