FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2007

 

Sixth-annual fundraiser honors cancer patients and seeks community support to raise needed dollars for research and patient care at Roswell Park

(BUFFALO, NY)  Western New York students, teachers, administrators and corporate employees from across the country are “Goin’ Bald” once again this year to benefit cancer research and patient care at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). The “Goin’ Bald for Bucks” fundraiser—an inspiring campaign that asks participants to collect pledges in return for shaving their heads or cutting off at least 10 inches of hair (which gets donated to Locks of Love*)— kicked off on Friday, March 9 at Roswell Park, with RPCI’s own employees taking  turns in the barber chair to support the effort.

Over the past five years, Goin’ Bald for Bucks has become a favorite fundraiser among high schools and businesses, raising nearly $250,000. The dollars are applied each year to research showing the greatest promise to help save lives, and for support programs for patients and their families. Goin’ Bald is celebrating its sixth anniversary, and promises to be among RPCI’s most successful Team Cure events of 2007. More than 10 schools and businesses are already signed up to clip, snip and shave the way toward cancer cures.

Lake Shore Senior High School history teacher, Anthony George, founded the campaign as a tribute to his sister, Cathleen George, and to other patients, at the time of Cathleen’s cancer fight. Cathleen succumbed to cancer on March 13, 2004, and Goin’ Bald for Bucks has since become even more special, says Mr. George, with more and more people coming to him each year to learn how they can help.

“I can tell you from personal experience that it is nearly impossible for family members and friends to ‘sit by’ while their loved ones undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy that often cause hair loss,” said George. “This event allows participants to show their loved ones just how much they care.”

Goin’ Bald for Bucks not only raises money and allows cancer patients to draw strength from those who “Go Bald.” It also provides everyone involved with a unique sense of accomplishment and camaraderie. 

Nick A. Stento, a clinical research nurse at Roswell Park, took part in the kickoff event because he believes in the idea that “charity starts at home.” Stento said that he feels that it is important to help raise money that will stay right here at Roswell Park so that the Institute’s world-class researchers can continue their search for cures.

“We are all here for one reason – to further the mission of Roswell Park, which we can accomplish by supporting our researchers and doing whatever we can to give our patients the best care possible,” said Stento.

Schools and organizations already signed up as of March 9 include: Canisius College, Clarence Senior High School, City Honors School, Veronica E. Connor Middle School, Daemen College, Gowanda Free Methodist Church, Hamburg High School, Lake Shore Senior High, North Collins Central School District, Orchard Park High School, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Springville-Griffith Institute.

For details on how to start a Goin’ Bald for Bucks team or to make a secure online financial donation, please visit www.roswellpark.org/giving. You can also call Steve Hannon at 716-845-8164 or email steve.hannon@roswellpark.org for more information.

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The Roswell Park Alliance Foundation was founded in 1991 as a not-for-profit organization to receive and administer funds supporting scientific and clinical research, state-of-the-art medical care, and patient-related activities at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center headquartered in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania and in China. For more information, visit RPCI's website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

*Locks of Love is a not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 years of age or younger who have experienced medical hair loss. These custom-fitted hair prosthetics are provided free of charge or on a sliding scale to children whose families meet the Locks of Love Board of Directors guidelines. The organization, which began operation 1998, has helped over 2,000 children to date.