Do the 'Do: Go Bald on St. Baldrick's Day
Looking for a new ‘do and interested in helping kids? Go bald on St. Baldrick’s Day or support those bold enough to volunteer as “shavees” Sunday, May 3. Members of the Rochester community will gather at the Roost, 4853 West Henrietta Road, for Rochester’s 4th annual event, an event like no other. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. and the actual shaving starts at 2:15 p.m. Following the shaving and a children’s memorial, the event will continue into the evening with karaoke.
Nurses from the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and at Golisano Children’s Hospital at URMC will shave their heads to raise money for the treatment of patients they see every day. Lynne Stiefler, R.N., B.S.N., pediatric education coordinator for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at URMC, is coordinating the nurses’ team effort this year.
“Last year, I bit the bullet and registered as a shavee. I’m excited to tell first-time shavees this year that I know from experience it’s not all that bad. The kids we support make the small sacrifice worth it,” said Stiefler.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for childhood cancer research has been very generous with Golisano Chidlren’s Hospital in the past, having donated $39,900 last September to a research grant for Craig Mullen, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatric hematology and oncology at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Mullen’s research project investigates whether the body's immune system can fight off some types of leukemia that are not eliminated by chemotherapy. Mullen’s project could help doctors decide which children are most effectively treated with bone marrow transplants.
“We are delighted to have received this award, which will impact how we approach bone marrow transplants for children with the most common childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This foundation is a perfect example of how giving a little bit can make a huge difference in the treatment of kids with cancer,” said Mullen.
For more information on this event, please call 1-888-899-BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.