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More and more people today are deliberately going bald because the growth in cancer patients is increasing the use of head shaving campaigns for fundraising. The premise is simple: a person pledges to raise a specified amount of money and agrees to shave their head if friends, family and others donate to their cause. The reward, many say, is supporting friends and family members losing hair due to cancer treatment in a tangible way.
Totally Baldacious:
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in the US and Canada just announced the “Totally Baldacious!” campaign which encourages people to shave their heads or change their hair color. Other options include a temporary tattoo on bald heads or, for men, shaving or coloring beards or mustaches. President and CEO John Walter has joined in, saying he hopes to raise at least $50,000. "I believe in (our) mission with every bone in my body and every hair on my head," Walter said. "And I'm prepared to sacrifice those hairs to show in no uncertain terms just how much I care about helping people with cancer live longer, healthier lives."
Like many campaigns today, this one incorporates social media. LLS developed an application which participants can use to "virtually" bald their social networking profile and dare others to shave one for the team, or to support their fundraising efforts. You can find the app in the resources list below and use it to see what you would look like bald.
World’s Greatest Shave Draws More Than 100,000:
An even larger undertaking is the “World’s Greatest Shave” in Australia which takes place March 11-13. Started in 1998, World's Greatest Shave raised more than $92 million for the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia. More than 125,000 people from all walks of life shave or color their hair each year to raise funds. Where does the name come from? The Foundation holds the Guinness World Record for most heads shaved over a 24 hour period, set in 1999.
This isn’t the only large head shaving event down under. Bluey Day or Crop a Cop is an initiative of police officers and other emergency services across Australia who shave their heads in support of children living with cancer and other serious illnesses.
Adults Shave Heads and Become Heroes for Kids:
Since their first head-shaving event on St. Patrick’s Day in 2000, California-based St. Baldrick’s Foundation has contributed more than $50.5 million dollars to pediatric cancer research through events around the globe. The nonprofit has a major push underway this year since 2010 marks their ten year anniversary and hopes to enlist more than 40,000 shavees this year. “It’s hard to believe that St. Baldrick’s, which started out as a small fundraiser among friends, has grown into the world’s largest volunteer driven fundraising event for childhood cancer,” says Kathleen Ruddy, executive director.
St. Baldrick’s has proudly shaved more than 108,000 heads at more than 2,500 events around the world. The foundation supports programs related to childhood cancer, including research grants, improved patient treatments, research projects and pediatric cancer trials.
Head Shaving Comes In Many Forms:
According to Fundraiser Insight, a publication for professional fundraisers, head shaving fundraisers have many incarnations, and are only limited by one’s imagination.
One of the most inspirational examples of head shaving is Anne Lisa Lynch of
The United Kingdom who raised funds for cancer research in the UK by shaving her head publicly and vibrantly. She continues to raise money online through her blog, which includes the video showing the grand head shaving event when her waist-length locks were chopped off.
Here are some of the reasons she gave for shaving her head:
• Because so many people I've known in my life have been touched by cancer, and it doesn't appear to be less prevalent (though treatments have improved)
• Because there's still a way to go for treatments to be 100 percent effective (and it's people who have put so much effort into fundraising and research that have got it as far as it is today!)
• Because when it does touch peoples lives, there is still a feeling of despair when first diagnosed. It would be wonderful if, when people first hear the words, "you have cancer" that the immediate reaction is annoyance that it is going to inconvenience them for a while. (Even better would be that no consultant or doctor would ever have to say those words!)
• Because my childhood friend now has it, and though I'm there for her as much as I can be, I still feel so helpless as she struggles through the harsh treatments, trying to decide whether it's worth continuing when it makes her feel so bad.
• While I can't physically do something for my friend (I can't make her better, nor take her pain away), I can at least try to do something towards the ongoing quest for improvement in treatment for ourselves and for our children.
• Shaving my head to raise funds, whilst not original, is something in my power to do... and it means something to me (both in the physical hair loss, and the idea why the loss of hair is significant -see). If I didn't care about it, then it would be no big deal.
• It was because cancer touches on so many peoples' lives, that so many people encouraged me to go for it!
What do you think? Would you be willing to shave your head to raise funds for cancer? Have you ever done this? If so, what was the experience like? If you have cancer, would you like others to shave their heads on your behalf? Do you think it’s appropriate to encourage people to do this when hair loss can be devastating for cancer patients, especially women?
RESOURCES:
Totally Baldacious info: www.totallybaldacious.org
Make Yourself Baldacious App:
http://totallybaldacious.llsevent.org/pages/index.cfm?PageID=62639
World’s Greatest Shave Info: http://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/
World's Great Shave TV ads: http://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/news/video.php
St. Baldrick’s Info: www.StBaldricks.org.
St. Baldrick’s Events : http://blog.nola.com/highlights-with-derick-hingle/2009/03/stbaldricks_one_hairraising_ex.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7IpTlKhHK8
Anne Lisa Lynch on shaving her head: http://baringitall.blogspot.com/
About the author: Pat Elliott is a journalist and blogger who has written about health issues for more than 20 years. She is also a cancer survivor who coaches people on how to manage their transition and take control of their new future.
Add a Comment18 Comments
Brian - Thank you for writing and for your work on behalf of cancer patients. Would you mind sharing why you've been doing this for four years? Has someone close to you been affected by cancer or is this something you feel is a good way to contribute to others?
February 25, 2010 - 9:57pmThanks, Pat
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When we encourage supportive fundraising for our award winning nonprofit, Bald Girls Do Lunch, for women with the autoimmune hair loss disease alopecia areata we're also able to tell the donors that a portion of that locally raised funding is being designated right back to help the alopecian women in their community.
You see, women with alopecia areata are hiding in plain sight unable to find each other. All across the country I meet women who have had AA secretly since childhood and have never ever met another woman like herself. We're passionate about fixing that problem. We're the innovative and uplifting program that makes it possible to feel less alone right in their own region. Just check out the testimonials at www.BaldGirlsDoLunch.org to see how the BGDL program is changing lives right at the lunch table.
It's vital for people who support women with this disease to fund the programs that improve their quality of life TODAY.....because research is going nowhere fast.
February 18, 2010 - 12:24pmThis Comment
My name is Jen and I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in Jan. 2009. I've been thru chemo and lost my beautiful, long, blond hair during treatment. I still have the braid that was cut from the nape of my neck before it all fell out; the braid measures 18 3/4" long! My sweet 12 year old neice told me "Aunt Jen, if you're going to lose all your hair, cut it off short and dye it green so when it falls out, you'll hate it anyways!" So I did! And it was a cute look that I was only able to sustain for about 2 weeks before it started coming out in chunks. At that point, I shaved it all off and sported the bald look. At first, I wore wigs and hats and bandanas, but found the strength to be bald...for a woman of only 35 years old, that's a very hard thing. My husband and some friends also shaved their heads or cut their hair to support me in my fight and it meant the world to me. I've had people stare at me and I've lost my temper sometimes and told them off. I've also had little kids come up to me asking me candidly why I didn't have any hair, which I respected the most. I also had a toddler at a wedding ask his mom to bring him up to me so that he could tell me that I'm beautiful! I about cried. My hair has started to grow back and it's about 3 inches long now, coming in a different color with a cute upwards curl along my neck, when before my hair was bone-straight. I now work for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the School and Youth program which gives me the opportunity to teach young kids about blood cancer, the effects of chemo, and how they can help find better treatments so nobody had to ever go thru that kind of experience and I use my braid as a visual tool to show them just how drastic it was when I lost my hair. Bald is beautiful. And remember, losing your hair is way better than losing your life.
February 18, 2010 - 10:14amThis Comment
Hi Jen - Thanks for sharing your story, and for the work you're doing to teach young people about blood cancers. I'm sure that you were beautiful when you were bald, and you're beautiful now with your three inch hair. It's what's inside of us that counts the most. Take good care of yourself. Pat
February 18, 2010 - 5:01pmThis Comment
Hi Johnny - Thank you for writing and for sharing the link to the FANTASTIC "Bald Headed Blues" video! It's so wonderful to see the three talented women who perform the song, as well as all the others featured in the video, who take on the idea of being bald from chemo with such strength, wit and humor.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
I'm Still Here, I'm Standing Tall
My Same Eyes Stare Back At Me
Even tho I look differently
I'm sorry you lost your son Andy to cancer. You've produced an incredible video in his honor that I'm sure has meant a lot to women with cancer in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. Losing one's hair is such an emotional issue, and the support that comes from people like you - and others - means a lot to those of us who are facing it. On the one hand, it seems a bit vain to be worried about losing hair given that it's our lives at stake. On the other hand, we are dealing with so many assaults to our identity that having this very visible one added to them can be heartbreaking. A dose of humor, along with support, goes a really long way in making all of this a lot easier.
February 17, 2010 - 6:26pmThank you for caring so much,
Pat
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An idea whose time has arrived? Back in 1970 David Crosby sang, "Almost Cut My Hair." 40 years later shaving one's head has become an act of solidarity with family, friends and even strangers with cancer who have lost their hair as a result of chemotherapy. Here is a song inspired by a cancer patient who lost her hair. I produced the video to honor the memory of my twenty-four year old son Andy, who I lost to brain cancer in August 1999. "Dance with death. Dance with life. Which one do I choose?" Please check out and share: Bald Headed Blues on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNaW6FyiJRI
February 17, 2010 - 6:08pmIf you have any uppity bald photos to share, please post them on Facebook here. Shakin’ My Butt to the Bald Headed Blues - An Uppity Attitude Toward Cancer
Thanks
Johnny
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Hi Karrie - Thank you so much for writing, and for helping others. You have absolutely beautiful hair! You must also have a beautiful spirit too. I hope you will write back to us in September after you become "baldacious" and tell us about the experience. Hopefully many people in Florida and elsewhere will be supporting you.
February 16, 2010 - 8:08pmTake good care, Pat
This Comment
Great blog! I'm one of the ones going bald this year for LLS
February 16, 2010 - 7:56pmhttp://totallybaldacious.llsevent.org/pledge/index.cfm?mid=KARRIEM
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