To kick off our new national partnership, Sport Clips decided to celebrate with their biggest head-shaving event yet. Over 130 heads were shaved — at the same time! See how much fun it can be to break a record while helping fund childhood cancer research.
Sport Clips, our first national partner, hosted a head-shaving event last week in San Antonio, Texas, to show just how excited they are to help conquer childhood cancer. And to shave some heads, of course!
“We are so proud to be able to use our skills as haircutters to contribute to St. Baldrick’s, a worthy cause of fighting childhood cancer,” VEO Margaret Briscoe said.
Sport Clips stylists and team members gathered with St. Baldrick’s volunteers to shave over 130 heads — at the same time.
The event started with an introduction of Honored Kid Derryk, the son of San Antonio Sport Clips stylist Nicole. He stood on stage as St. Baldrick’s CEO Kathleen Ruddy presented him with the Honored Kids medal, a symbol of his bravery.
Derryk’s smile stretched from ear to ear.
“This experience meant so much to us,” Nicole said. “I was able to explain to Derryk what ‘shave the day’ meant, and he was so excited to participate.”
In fact, Derryk was so excited that he helped shave the head of Sport Clips CEO and Founder Gordon Logan!
Sport Clips President Mark Kartarik joined them onstage to “shave the day.”
And the Vice President of Operations Gordon E. Logan got in on the fun, too.
Dr. Greg Aune, a St. Baldrick’s Scholar, joined them onstage to explain the importance of childhood cancer research.
He spoke as a medical professional, but also as a childhood cancer survivor.
At the age of 16, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma — and he has experienced the long-term effects that have come from it. At age 35, Dr. Aune underwent emergency heart surgery to repair the consequences of his childhood cancer treatment. Now, he works in a lab to understand how chemotherapy damages the heart — so other kids with cancer won’t have to face life-threatening effects, too.
Dr. Aune shared his experience with the crowd, explaining why he is now a pediatric oncologist.
“He added a lot of meaning to the program, and he helped educate our audience,” Margaret said.
Read more about Dr. Aune’s story >
Before the event started, they’d raised a whopping $110,000 to help fund the most promising childhood cancer research.
“The moment when they turned the check around to display $110,000 on it was pretty meaningful to me,” Michael Ellis, one of the shavees℠, said. “I had been watching the donation pages pretty closely, and it just kept hovering at $107,000. But when they turned it around to show $110,000, I admit it, I cried.”
Then, it was time to break a record.
Over 130 shavees sat together and made St. Baldrick’s history. Never before were this many heads shaved at the same time.
“This partnership is so meaningful on so many levels, especially when we learned that one of our stylists has a young son fighting cancer,” Martha England, vice president of marketing for Sport Clips, said. “It’s a good fit for us, since shaving heads is something we’re equipped and trained to do.”
For every shavee that went bald, there was a Sport Clips stylist right there beside them. That’s over 130 volunteer barbers making an impact for kids with cancer!
Keep up the great hair-razing, Sport Clips!
St. Baldrick’s is the largest volunteer-powered organization that helps fund childhood cancer research — and none of this would be possible without people like you! See how you can get involved and help kids with cancer.
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