Our chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon first participated in St. Baldrick's in 2015, affectionately called Shave a SigEp. It's a young tradition for our Kansas Alpha chapter, but it's a tradition that I am incredibly grateful to have a chance to be a part of. The intention of St. Baldrick's and Shave a SigEp is to raise money for childhood cancer research, a noticeably underfunded area of cancer research. Childhood cancer is also vastly different from adult cancers. It is usually not a result of choice of lifestyle or environmental effects and instead results from DNA mutations in cells in very early life, or even before birth. Childhood cancers can also respond differently to treatments than adult cancers do. While childhood cancers tend to respond better to chemotherapy or radiation therapy than adult cancers, these treatments can also cause long-term health detriments.

For these reasons, I am joining St. Baldrick's to raise money for childhood cancer research. It sounds cliche, but every dollar counts. This is not at all for me, but for all of those whose lives have been or will be touched by childhood cancer.

Even if you have only a dollar to spare for the cause, just know that the dollar is making a real change.