Meet Your 2016 Battle of the Bald Champion
37 events, thousands of participants, and over $235,000 raised for childhood cancer research — it’s safe to say the ultimate college head-shaving showdown had a successful second season. But who came out on top in this year’s Battle of the Bald? The results are in — read more to find out!
All images courtesy of Laurie Aiello
With her son Grant in her lap, her father getting shaved in the seat next to her, and her daughter helping guide the razor, Katrina Learned’s head-shave became more than a fundraiser — it was a moving family moment.
Katrina was the top fundraiser at the event, raising just over $14,000 for childhood cancer research and helping propel the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute event to the top of the charts for the second annual Battle of the Bald.
Why You Should Start a St. Baldrick’s Event on Your Campus
We’re shaving heads to find cures for kids’ cancer. Sound crazy? Maybe. But here are five great reasons you’ll want to join us.
How to Throw a Successful St. Baldrick’s Event at Your College: 5 Tips from a VEO
Tom, a volunteer event organizer (VEO) and eight-time shavee℠, first brought St. Baldrick’s to his university campus in 2011. He let us in on his tips for a successful college fundraising event.
The first St. Baldrick’s event at Valparaiso University in 2011.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an event near me.
I decided to bring the idea to my soccer coach to start a St. Baldrick’s event at Valpo. He agreed, and for the past four years we have been putting on a head-shaving event.
College Students: Do Something for Kids with Cancer
Student shavees at the 2013 St. John’s University head-shaving event. Photos by Jihad Nammou.
Students all over the country have been deciding that their passion is to help cure childhood cancer. And many have taken it upon themselves to start a St. Baldrick’s fundraiser on their campus.
$30 Million Raised for Childhood Cancer Research
Luke Dunn, Tom Serratore, and Todd Vervynckt help us celebrate $30 million raised to help children with cancer. Photos by Randall Spriggs, Valparaiso University.
After his friend, Joey Malak, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia their junior year of high school, Tom knew he had to get involved and wanted to find a way to honor and support Joey. He began volunteering with St. Baldrick’s and participating in its signature head-shaving events, including the event at Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois.
First University President to Shave
Have you heard the news?
How did Valparaiso University (VU) President Mark Heckler find himself nine days away from shaving his head to support childhood cancer research? The story starts in 2007 when Tom Serratore, a freshman at Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois, decided to participate at his first St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event in honor of his friends who had been affected by cancer.
So inspired by the experience, Tom shaved all four years of high school. When he went off to college and joined VU’s soccer team, he brought with him the idea to organize a St. Baldrick’s event. The soccer team accepted Tom’s challenge and hosted the University’s first-ever event in 2011, raising more than $6,000!
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