For the eighteenth year in a row, my dad and I are braving the shave to help in the fight against childhood cancer.

Growing up in a Jewish household, eighteen has always been a special number to me. In the Jewish tradition, the number eighteen is a symbol for the Hebrew word “chai,” meaning life. However, 400,000 kids’ lives are upended worldwide every year with a cancer diagnosis, and 99% of survivors will have a chronic health issue because of the treatment they received as children. That’s why my dad and I continue to support this cause every year - so that someday we can find a cure for this disease and so kids like Ashlyn, my friend’s cousin who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the age of four but is currently NED (no evidence of disease), and Mira, my childhood synagogue cantor’s daughter who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma last year but is now cancer-free, can live normal lives post-treatment.

Each shaved head, every dollar donated, creates a ripple effect of progress for kids with cancer.

Your gift will give kids and their families hope, supporting the best research across the country, through the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Together, let’s give these kids the lifetime they deserve. Thank you for your support!