Students at Lawrence Intermediate School participated in the St. Baldrick’s head-shaving fundraiser event for childhood cancer research in 2024. This year’s event is set for March 15 at Amalfi’s Kitchen and bar in Lawrence Township.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research, has set March 15 for its annual head-shaving event at Amalfi’s Kitchen and Bar in Lawrence Township.
The restaurant is located at 146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Road. The in-person head-shaving event starts at 11 a.m. A virtual option is also available.
Volunteers – “shavees” in St. Baldrick’s speak – seek pledges from supporters in exchange for shaving their heads for the fundraiser, which is timed to occur around St. Patrick’s Day.
The goal is to raise $75,000 in donations for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund childhood cancer research. This marks the 18th year that the head-shaving event has been held in Lawrence Township. It is one of the largest of the foundation’s 1,100 events around the United States, and has raised more than $2.1 million since 2007.
About 130 people – adults and children – had signed up and raised $50,157 toward the $75,000 goal as of Feb. 25. In 2024, shavees raised $173,720.
Teams from the Ben Franklin and Lawrenceville elementary schools, the Lawrence Intermediate School, the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School have raised more than $14,000 in pledges as of Feb. 25.
The Bear Tavern Elementary School and the Timberlane Middle School in the neighboring Hopewell Valley Regional School District have raised more than $15,000 in pledges. The two school principals are former Lawrence Township Public Schools administrators.
Michael McCue, who operates a chiropractic clinic with his wife, Melissa, in Lawrence Township, organized the first St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving event in Lawrence in 2008. They are among the top fundraisers
McCue said he had always felt badly for the young children who had lost their hair while they were undergoing treatment for childhood cancers.
So when McCue saw an advertisement for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, he was intrigued – especially by its signature fundraiser, which is a head-shaving event.
“I got involved with St. Baldrick’s because it was – and still is – a unique charity event,” McCue said.
“I loved the fact that it funded childhood cancer research and that participants shave their heads in solidarity with the kids that lose their hair during treatment,” he said.
As the number of participants in Lawrence has grown over the years, it has really made an impact in awareness to see everyone run around bald around the third week in March, McCue said.
A child is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes worldwide, according to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. In the United States, cancer kills one of every five children who have been diagnosed with the disease.
The most common childhood cancer is acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to the foundation. Myeloid leukemia is not as common, but it is more difficult to treat.
Other childhood cancers include Ewing sarcoma, which is a bone tumor; retinoblastoma, which is a cancer of the retina of the eye; and Wilm’s tumor, which is a kidney cancer.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation and its head-shaving fundraiser grew out of a challenge issued by one successful businessman to his equally successful friends in 1999.
The man asked his friends what they would do to give back to the community. They agreed to shave their heads to raise money for children with cancer.
The first head-shaving fundraiser was held around St. Patrick’s Day in 2000, giving rise to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
For more information, visit the event’s site at www.stbladricks.org/events/Lawrenceville2025. It can be found on social media – Lawrenceville St. Baldrick’s on Facebook; Lawrencestbaldy on X; and Lawrencevillestbaldricks on Instagram.
