Shaving Heads for Childhood Cancer

Jay Menton and Theresa James, members of Alpha Phi omega, posing with their freshly shaved heads. 

PHOTO: Shelby Stiner

A service fraternity shaves heads to raise money for a cure for children’s cancer. 

Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, ran a barbershop tent on the South Oval Thursday, April 5, in order to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. 

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a charity that funds research to find a cure for childhood cancer. The foundation started in 2000 as competition between two friends to see who could raise the most money for childhood cancer research by shaving their heads. St. Baldrick’s is the largest foundation for childhood cancer research, second only to St. Jude’s. 

“St. Baldrick’s grants the most amount of money in the form of research grants for childhood cancer research,” Jay Menton, Alpha Phi Omega Chair of St. Baldrick’s Day said. 

People who wanted to participate in the event paid $5 to have their head shaved and the shaved hair would then be donated to Wigs for Kids, a program that makes wigs from the donated hair for children with cancer. 

Menton said that the children affected by cancer are normally going through a time in their life where looks are very important. He says the volunteers who pledge to shave their heads do so to stand with the children in their time of suffering. 

“Our Volunteers want to show [the kids] that it’s alright to be bald, plenty of people do it,” Menton said. 

Theresa James, the fundraising chair for Alpha Phi Omega, is a perfect example of trying to show the children it’s okay to be bald. She shaved off all of her shoulder length, thick, curly blonde hair to raise money and donate to Wigs for Kids. 

“Donating my hair means someone else is going to have it, and somebody else is going to enjoy it,” James said. “And my hair will grow back.”  

Alpha Phi Omega hopes to raise $7,500 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. 

To learn more about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and how to donate money visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/ 

To learn more about Alpha Phi Omega visit http://www.ou.edu/apo/about.html