Teams of “shavees” shaved their heads Saturday at Jillian’s as part of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Shave-a-thon to raise money for childhood cancer research.
The event’s initial goal was $100,000, which was reached with approximately $105,000 and counting Saturday afternoon.
About 300 participants shaved their head to raise money, 50 of whom were women.
The annual event began eight years ago, and each year people have raised money for St. Baldrick’s to have their heads shaved. This weekend, the event was full of first-time shavees, as well as a few veterans.
The money raised takes the form of grants, much of which comes back to South Carolina children’s hospitals according to Krystle Eckrote, one of the event’s co-coordinators
Shavees began fundraising online in September and continued to raise money up until this weekend’s event. Many fundraisers choose to continue raising money after the event, as well.
Most participants register and fundraise ahead of time, but walk-ins were also welcome to collect some last-minute donations and get shaved.
Brandi Ballington shaved her head for the second year in a row with her family and recommended that everybody, especially women, do the same.
“It was the most amazing feeling in my life,” Ballington said. “It was so freeing and I felt like a whole new person.”
But Ballington realized that some may be more hesitant than she was before her first shave.
“If you’ve never done it and you’re afraid of what your head is going to look like or what people are going to say, who cares?” she said. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just hair.”
One aspect that makes this event so unique is that it is focused on childhood research, something that Ballington said she really appreciated.
“All cancer is bad, but the children are our future,” Ballington said. “As I get older and if I get cancer, don’t raise money for me, give it to the children. I’ve lived my life. Give it to the children because they have a chance.”
Kappa Psi, USC’s pharmacy fraternity, has been participating in the shave-a-thon for three years and raised $6,600 for this year’s event.
Kappa Psi member Matthew Timmons said raising money for this event was tough, since the group had been raising money for both the event and to fund their organization. However, members of the fraternity were willing to raise more money for the shave-a-thon than for Kappa Psi.
“Quite frankly, this is the best thing we do as a fraternity,” said Kappa Psi member Judson Wright.