head shaving

We love dads. Especially dads who shave their heads to help take childhood back from cancer!

Father’s Day is around the corner, and we want to give some extra love to all the awesome dads who’ve given up their hair to raise money for kids’ cancer research.

Today until June 10, show us your #BestBaldDad photos for a chance to win St. Baldrick’s swag and a limited edition, co-branded St. Baldrick’s + Love Your Melon beanie!

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When Brian flies around the world for UPS, a little piece of Ambassador Brooks comes along on the trip – his favorite toy, Hot Wheels cars. “I think about him every day now,” Brian said of Brooks. Learn about how this pilot and his wife, Natalie, were inspired by Brooks and took to the skies (and the barber’s chair) to fundraise for childhood cancer research in Brooks’ honor.

Brian shaved at the Be Brooks Brave and Shave head-shaving event in Indiana to honor Ambassador Brooks, a local 6-year-old boy who died of brain and spine cancer in 2016. “Unfortunately, we never had the opportunity to meet Brooks, but his story is definitely in our hearts, that’s for sure,” said Brian’s wife, Natalie.

When Brian’s wife, Natalie, first read about Ambassador Brooks on Facebook, she couldn’t get the story out of her head and her heart. He was so young, innocent and healthy looking, but he had pediatric brain cancer. With his dark hair and dark eyes, Brooks reminded Natalie of her own son. 

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Honored Kid Sully loves to bike, run and wrestle with his brothers like any 11-year-old boy. He even tried out skiing over spring break. You’d never expect that just a year and a half ago, Sully woke up from surgery unable to walk.

Honored Kid Sully loves to bike, run, ride roller coasters and play with his brothers, Cashel and Finn. He wants to be a civil engineer when he grows up and dreams of designing the world’s best roller coasters.

It all started with back pain. It was innocuous at first. Hot baths would relieve Sully’s pain for a while, but it would come back with a vengeance. Finally, after many doctor’s visits, a lot of ibuprofen and no improvement, Sully’s parents, Dan and Jen, brought their son to the ER.

Hours later, the boy was in emergency brain surgery.

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Joey Chamness has grown up from being St. Baldrick’s very first Ambassador to become a longtime shavee and the VEO of his college event — helping fundraise for childhood cancer research to the tune of thousands of dollars. Why does he do it? Because this survivor knows firsthand how important it is to find better, safer treatments and cures for kids with cancer.

(Left) Joey rests and watches movies during his treatment for osteosarcoma. (Right) Now a survivor, Joey speaks during a St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event.

21-year-old Joey Chamness considers himself lucky.

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In honor of National Siblings Day, we bring you an amazing story of a brother’s love and dedication to honor his sister and raise money for childhood cancer research in her memory. Meet Geordan, a long-time shavee and the proud big brother of Honored Kid Rayanna.

Rayanna and Geordan share a sweet moment.

When Geordan shaves with St. Baldrick’s, his sister is there. When he drives his race car, she’s with him. When he walks the halls of his high school, rocking his bald head, Rayanna is never far away. The little girl is always with Geordan in his thoughts, hanging around her brother just like she did before childhood cancer took her away.

“Rayanna was my only full sibling and now it’s just me,” the 16-year-old said. “I miss Rayanna and wish there had never been childhood cancer.”

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This month, 17-year-old Flannery sat down in the barber’s chair for the seventh time in her young life. She doesn’t have a personal story of childhood cancer or a connection – she shaves and fundraises for research because it’s the right thing to do.

Flannery grins during her shave on March 15 at the Matt Denny’s Ale House event in Arcadia, California.

When Flannery was 9 years old, she shaved her head with St. Baldrick’s for the very first time. She doesn’t remember being scared or nervous as the stylist snipped off her long ponytail.

“I just remember being really, really excited and feeling my head after and being really happy,” she said.

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Leanne gives Ava a kiss on her peach-fuzz head, while her baby sister, Addalyn, giggles.

It turns out that being bald is an instant conversation starter. Leanne, who just recently shaved with St. Baldrick’s, loves it.

“It’s very empowering,” she said. “Honestly, it hasn’t even been a week yet and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked about my hair. It just opens the door for conversation and I love that, because I love talking about my daughter.”

Her daughter’s name was Ava  – Ava the brave, bald and beautiful.

Ava showed an independent streak as soon as she could sit up by herself. “I’ve never seen anything like it. She just really was her own person,” her mom said.

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When it comes to fighting childhood cancer, Honored Kid Tyler is a triple threat – he’s a survivor of kids’ cancer, a shavee and a nursing student! Why is he passionate about conquering childhood cancers? Because this three-time cancer fighter doesn’t want more kids to go through what he did.

Tyler smiles after his shave with 9-year-old Honored Kid Ally.

While Tyler was in the hospital, he became very good at pretending that he was asleep. He overheard all sorts of things – things that doctors liked to sugarcoat when he was awake. Like the fact that they thought he was going to die.

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For Eric Haddad, head shaving isn’t just a one-time deal, because as the dad of a kid who fought brain cancer, he knows firsthand that the effects can last a lifetime. Next month, at the Rocky River event in Ohio, Eric will be shaving his head for the eighth time, while raising funds for research that he hopes will lead to better, safer treatments for kids with cancer.

During a past event, Eric shaves for his son, Shane.

When Shane Haddad was 4 years old, he started fighting childhood cancer. Eight years later, he hasn’t stopped fighting.

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Honored Kid Jack is selfless, brave, passionate, and funny. The seventh grader works hard, even when the odds are against him and if he could be friends with everyone in the world, he would be. In a word, Jack is special. Even cancer couldn’t take that away from him. And that’s what makes him a legendary hero to us — and this year’s League Champion of the St. Baldrick’s League of Legendary Heroes. You can be a legendary hero too! Get started today.

Jack was named 2018 League Champion for the League of Legendary Heroes because of his dedication to fundraising for kids’ cancer research. Photo by Courtney Van Alice Photography

Driving home from a visit with her sister, Vickie decided to run an errand. She pulled into the parking lot at Office Depot and stopped the car, expecting her son, Jack, to get out with her. But he didn’t.

“He’s like, ‘I can’t get out of the car, Mom. I can’t move,’ And I was like, ‘What? You were just wrestling with your cousin.’”

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