Knights shave heads for good cause

It’s fund-raising time in the Mat-Su Valley. The Colony High Chapter of National Honor Society, or NHS, is doing its best to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

St. Baldrick’s is currently one of the foremost benefactors to cancer research grants, second only to the United States government. Since 2005, the organization has raised more than $41 million in grants and $16 million in 2009 alone.

Colony High School’s involvement with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation began when Ryan Gildersleeve, a senior at Colony, and Jamin Burton, the Colony High band teacher, suggested it as a year-long project for society members. Burton became involved with St. Baldrick’s after his young cousin was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor at age 6. After reading the St. Baldrick’s newsletter, his uncle wrote after Kylee’s death, Burton decided to make a concerted effort to expand community awareness of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

“I think our community does a lot for charitable causes,” Burton said, “and I’m not trying to make a statement. I just felt like I needed to do more to help.”

He decided to turn to National Honor Society to help promote and raise money in honor of Kylee.

Although everyone is encouraged to donate at www.stbaldricks.org to honor a person of their choice, all of the donations made through Colony High will honor Team Kylee’s Wish. On Thursday, about 25 Colony High School staff and students shaved their heads in exchange for pledges made to them prior to Thursday morning. Although NHS hopes to send off as big a check as possible, the students at Colony are trying to raise at least $3,000. If that amount is raised by the start of the day, Principal Cyd Duffin promised to shave her head.

Valley businesses have been helpful in the fund-raising process. Noticeably, Excel Fitness and Bouncing Bears (both right off the Palmer-Wasilla Highway) have donated generous cash donations, while other businesses like Great Clips and Pioneer Pizza donated services. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., two stylists from Great Clips donated their time and expertise to the participants shaving their heads. Pioneer Pizza provided lunch to the head shavees free of charge.

Anyone interested in making a personal donation can visit www.stbaldricks.org for information or donate through CHS by contacting Prudence Plunkett or Virginia Boyd at prudence.plunkett@matsuk12.us or virginia.boyd@matsuk12.us. For donations via telephone, call Plunkett at 861-5538. Donations can still be made through Colony until March 26.

For a more humane look into the fund-raising machine, make sure to check out the “Find a Child” link, where cancer-diagnosed children’s parents have written mini-biographies about their experiences and day-to-day lives. The pictures of happy children and hopeful statements about the future are heartbreaking. The most powerful thing St. Baldrick’s can offer is hope for an improved quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. This hope is shared by all the participants at Colony High School shaving their heads to honor and support children with cancer.

Sofia Fouquet is a senior at Colony High School.