Here's the canned message: I'm having my head shaved to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer, but more importantly, to raise money to find cures. Please support me with a donation to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. This volunteer-driven charity funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U. S. government. Your gift will give hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers. So when I ask for your support, I'm really asking you to support these kids. Thank you! Click "Make a donation" to give online, or donate by phone or mail. Here's what I have to say: Since I've been 15 years old, I've been insane about my hair. I don't think I can count high enough to calculate how much money I've spent on cuts, colors, perms (not since the 90's) and a ridiculous amount of expensive hair care products. And now I'm going to be turning 40, and I need to start fresh...and hopefully raise some money for a good cause while I'm doing it. I've been blessed, and as I get older, I've learned that a thick head of hair that I've really enjoyed changing over the past 25 years has been fun, but a very insignificant in light of all the true blessings in my life - a family that supports and loves me, no matter what my hair looks looks like, friends - those who I've known my whole life, and those I've made later in life, a job, a house, food on the table, and two healthy kids. This is my opportunity to share the gifts I've been given. And when my hair is being cut, I'll just remind myself that if Jo in Little Women can give up her hair to send Marmee to the front to be with her injured father, I can give up mine to help work towards finding a cure for a disease that no child should have suffer from. And to my partner, Matt Holbrook, the difficulty for him was growing it out, not cutting it off, and I so appreciate him doing this with me so I didn't have to do it alone. He's the reason I won't chicken out.