The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a national organization dedicated to raising money for doctors and research dollars going specifically to childhood cancer cures. These guys are serious with only 3 cents of every $1 donated going to administrative costs. They are making sure as much of the money you donate as possible goes directly to helping these amazing kids. That’s what distinguishes them from so many other adult cancer “charities”. Worldwide, 300,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. In the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease— more than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and diabetes combined. Of the total federal funding for cancer research, only 4 percent of federal government funding goes to these kids. Whaaaaat?! That’s why it’s so important to get out there and get involved. St. Baldrick’s relies on regular people like you and even some irregular people like myself to give a damn and open your hearts and wallets. I’m proud to say the incredible people I work for at American Haircuts Barber shop have been doing just that. American Haircuts, along with Ri Ra Irish pub in midtown Atlanta, has been putting on an annual event for the last 9 years that has raised $1.3 million for the battle against children’s cancers. Not bad for a neighborhood shop that’s usually more known for chopping mops and busting chops. If you’ve never been to an American Haircuts St. Baldrick’s head shaving event then you have no idea what you’re missing. Hundreds of men and women volunteer to take it upon themselves to go out and collect donations from friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers who want to see them completely hairless! So, they set and exceed goals raising anywhere from a few bucks to tens of thousands of dollars to part with their luscious locks. This year, as the whisky and beers flowed at Ri Ra, we shaved over 300 people. People came for various reasons. Some had either themselves or a family member affected by cancer. Many were fraternity brothers from GA Tech giving back to the community. And, many more came just because they wanted to make a difference in a child’s life that was struggling with this awful dis-
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greaseinc.com | APRIL 2018