St. Baldrick’s bio Hey guys! My name is Jennifer Rowley and I'm a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For the last month I've been raising money for St. Baldrick's Foundation. This volunteer organization funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization [except the U. S. government]!! I think this is an exceptional program and I've been reading up on this organization for over a year, and now the event is finally here at the U of I! St. Baldricks was originally founded on St. Patrick’s Day when a group of about 5 people raised money for pediatric cancer and shaved their heads to raise awareness. That’s how this entire organization started, just 5 people! This organization is THE definition of a mustard seed and I'm looking to raise money and awareness to fight for the cause. Did you know that the #1 cause of disease-related death among children in the US and Canada is cancer? To put it in perspective, nearly 1 million children in the US are battling a form of cancer as I write and every 3 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer [in the US]. I'm also going one step further by shaving my head. Yep, you read correctly, I'm shaving my head. Regardless of your opinion, I ask for your support as this commitment is extremely important to me. I've been thinking about "braving the shave" for St. Baldricks for a little over a year now and I am 100% going to commit to the shave. I know I have received plenty of negative feedback about my decision, which I understand. It's going to be weird to have a friend/sister/daughter/niece/granddaughter/pupil/peer who is completely bald for a few weeks, but wouldn't it be just as "weird" to have a family member or good friend that had to shave their hair because they were going through treatment? Shaving my head spreads awareness and gives hope to those children that already have cancer. I'm just lucky enough that I have a choice. I find it so interesting that hair is one of the most prominent forms of expression in society; it gives an insight to your personality, it’s fun and unique and YOU. Can you imagine being diagnosed with cancer and having to shave your head as a child? Some of these kids cannot even comprehend how cancerous cells even work let alone face the world bald. I'm here to show them that even a random stranger will chop HER hair in honor of those kids fighting cancer along with raising money for them. So when I ask for your support, I'm really asking you to support these kids. Thanks so much!!! Also, [as I will mention in my video] I will be making friendship bracelets for those who donate $10.00 or more! Just send me you’re home address and name via email. My number is 1-312-519-4783 so you can text me if you’re on campus or I’ll see you at a family party and my email is rowley3@illinois.edu. Thanks so much guys I really appreciate it!! Click "Make a donation" to give online, or donate by phone or mail.