Saint Baldrick’s is the “Mane” Event
Childhood cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of death in the United States. In order to tackle this ongoing issue, The Saint Baldrick’s Foundation was born. The foundation is volunteer and donation driven and aims to address pediatric cancer. They held their first Saint Baldrick’s in 2000 on St. Patrick’s Day at a local pub in Manhattan, where 19 heads were shaved and $104,000 was donated to fund the research of the Children’s Oncology Group. Now in 2024, more than $342 million has been raised across 31 countries. St. Baldrick’s has also had an impact closer to home, as it has become a Sequoyah tradition as well.
About 18 years ago, two Sequoyah K-8 students stumbled upon the event and made a spur-of-the-moment decision to participate. When they came to school the next day, the students were excited to share why their heads were bald. K-8 teacher Jeffery Radt, venerated leader and long-time participant of the Sequoyah Saint Baldrick’s event, was inspired by the students and has championed it ever since. Radt commented, “I like the idea of stewardship and doing something good in the community” He recently completed the most recent Baldrick’s event and plans to continue fundraising and shaving his head.
Students, parents, and teachers across the years have had personal experiences that prompted them to participate. Dashiell Gowen ’26 is one of the many Sequoyahns who have supported this organization. Gowen recently participated in his ninth St. Baldrick’s event and is aspiring to continue shaving his head and raising money in support of cancer research. Gowen says he started shaving his head for St. Baldrick’s because he “saw a lot of the older kids in middle school doing it and [it was] pretty inspirational… especially [since] you get to donate money for pediatric cancer research.” Sophia Schafer-Wharton ’26 also found the event inspirational and noted she participated because “one of [her] friends, Hart, [said] we should do it together. According to Schafer-Wharton, “it was a really great event, and everyone was super nice.” Similarly, Diego Del Toro ’25, who supported his little brother in shaving his head for the event, described the atmosphere as welcoming and kind.
Many high school students and K-8ers who have participated in the event in the past, like Gowen and Schafer-Wharton, plan to continue to take part in the event. Fundraising, support, and raising awareness are all significant ways to help mitigate the many struggles that come alongside cancer. Del Toro wisely observed that, while medical and technological advancements are very beneficial, “It’s also about awareness, and just supporting people who have cancer already.” Saint Baldrick’s is a great way to do this.
If interested in donating or learning more, visit https://www.stbaldricks.org/.