By Jasmine Morales
SC Staff Writer
One encounter can make a huge impact in someone’s life. This is what happened to Erica Richter, a nursing student and the head organizer for “Shave for the Brave.”
The event, through the St. Baldrick’s foundation, was hosted in the Keystone room last Tuesday, March 31.
St. Baldrick’s is an organization whose aim is to raise money for childhood cancer research. They also accept hair donations which they then make into wigs. For Richter, it was her daughter’s preschool classmate that had an effect on her life.
“My daughter was in preschool with a classmate who had leukemia. I got a little closer with her mom and started to do cancer walks and other things like that. There happened to be a woman who had lost her son to cancer and she shaved her head,” said Richter.
While sporting her new hair cut, she continued, “I didn’t have the courage to go up to her and introduce myself and tell her that I admired her strength. She always bounced around in the back of my head.”
Richter, whose passion for the cause is catching, shaved her entire head and donated all 18 inches of hair to the foundation.
There were other shavees who participated in the event. Samantha Suranofsky, a junior from Pen Argyl was one of the first volunteers to get on stage and take the plunge to donating 8 inches of hair.
Carolyn Bermanton, a nursing major in her junior year who also helped with donations needed for the event, decided to cut her hair for the cause as well.
Amber Jadus a sophomore majoring in communications donated 12 inches of hair to the foundation. These were only some of the willing participants that day.
The St. Baldrick’s foundation began in 1999. Colleagues Tim Kenny, John Bender, and Enda McDonnell came up with the idea to shave their heads in the hopes of raising money for children with cancer. Their first event in March of 2000 did better than they originally hoped for.
Their goal of $17,000 was surpassed and they ended up raising a total of $104, 000, which they donated to the Children’s Oncology Group. In the spring of 2002 the organization hit their first million dollars raised.
Slowly, with the help volunteers and public servants such as firefighters, police officers, and even military troops, the organization gained support across the country.
Since the creation of the St. Baldrick’s foundation they have been on the fast track to making a positive contribution to the funding of childhood cancer research.
While the Shave for the Brave event is over it is never too late to donate. The fundraising will be left open for about another week.
If you are interested in donating, head on over to https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/esus4tb and make a difference today.
Email Jasmine at:
jmorales1@live.esu.edu