Hello friends! I would like to thank our eleven honored families, numerous volunteers, generous donors and sponsors, and 120 shavees who went bald for pediatric cancer research on Friday, March 18 at the second-ever EHS Shave for the Brave! I am especially proud to be one of twenty brave female shavees who threw vanity out the window this year! Kudos, ladies! (Please see attached photo. I tried to attach more, but they are too large to email.) I also appreciate the support of our amazing crowd on Friday night… The gym was packed, but you could hear a pin drop when our honorees shared their stories of tragedy and triumph. I’d like to share a few special moments with those of you who missed it… Not only did we recognize all of our families with a warm welcome, but Doug Sheriff (whose daughter Nicole died of cancer in 2004 after founding Angel 34) offered a generous donation of $1,000 on the spot if anyone in the crowd would volunteer to shave! It was inspiring to see that it didn’t take more than two seconds for a man (Tony Hudak—his kids Kayla, Tanya, and Brendan all shaved for their honored little cousin Joey) to jump at the opportunity! Kelly Goldy-Brown, an eleven-year-old survivor, spoke about how thankful she is to be alive despite losing her eye when she was less than two years old. Susan Heard, whose son David died last month, shared how bittersweet the night was considering less than a year ago David shared his story as a survivor at our first Shave—and now she has to tell everyone how science failed her amazing ten-year-old. One of our shavees, Hanna Brosky, read a poem she wrote to a little girl she imagined benefiting from the money she raised by shaving her head. And numerous people—men and women, boys and girls—were inspired to shave right then and there, including our DJ Mike from 99.9 The Hawk! It was a very special night—one that I’ll never forget. Before I tell you our grand total, let me remind you that my goal for this event a year ago was ten shavees and $5,000… Last year we exceeded my expectations with 70 shavees and $24,566.99. This year’s goal was one cent over that amount. Yesterday, I spent over four hours with my two treasurers, Maria Molchan and Bridget Doklan, counting the cash and checks, and this year’s grand total is (drumroll, please) $37,113 AND COUNTING!! J Our hard work has truly paid off, and we’re shaving the way to conquer kids’ cancer! Many people have been asking me if it’s too late to donate, and, “NO, it’s never too late!” Every day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 18… So your donations are appreciated, even after our event! You can still give a tax-deductable gift to the entire event or a particular shavee on our website (and feel free to look at everyone’s “before and after” photos): www.StBaldricks.org/events/ehsShavefortheBrave. You can also write out a check to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, write our event (ID#: E-4416) or a shavee’s name in the memo line, and mail it to: St. Baldrick's Foundation 1333 South Mayflower Avenue, Suite 400, Monrovia, CA 91016. I cannot express what it feels like to be a part of a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives… And I’m wearing my bald head with much pride! Thank you for being a HERO for kids with cancer! Shannon Kosaber Petrunak P.S.—Congratulations to EHS German teacher Kevin Bisignani for winning the coveted t-shirt quilt raffle (that brought in over $870)!! J To give you a brief breakdown, our Shave for the Brave shirts made $695, raffle baskets $501, bake sale $439, concessions $345, EHS dress down day $73, and Macungie Elementary impressively contributed over $650! Thank you to all schools that collected donations! (And if you still have cash/checks, please let me know so we can send them to the foundation and combine them with our total—thank you!) P.P.S.—Although we contacted all local media outlets far in advance, I am disappointed in the lack of coverage. I personally believe that a completely volunteer-driven event (in which so many KIDS did something selfless for others) that raised thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer research is very newsworthy. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the following pieces: The Emmaus Patch did a wonderful job of featuring our event and capturing the spirit of the night: http://emmaus.patch.com/articles/final-cut-emmaus-high-school-shave-for-the-brave#video-5322172 WFMZ gave us 27 seconds worth of coverage: http://www.wfmz.com/lehighvalleynews/27245875/detail.html And here's my favorite picture from The Morning Call (it didn't make the paper) which is #14 out of 105 in the gallery (photos 12-17 are of our event). The photo features Dr. Monteleone, a pediatric oncologist at Lehigh Valley Muhlenberg, getting shaved by two of his patients, Alayna Billtcliff and Ben Jones (one of our two-time honorees): http://www.mcall.com/photos/mc-photojournal-031811-pictures,0,1121277.photogallery Shannon Kosaber Petrunak Emmaus High School English Teacher Emmaus Head Track & Field Coach Phone: 610.965.1650 ext.21582 Athletic Office Fax: 610.965.1501 Be a HERO for kids with cancer: www.StBaldricks.org/participants/KosaberPetrunak