Erin Go Bald: St. Baldrick’s Shaves Heads for Cancer Research

If you notice a few more bald folks around Bolingbrook this week, it's not all for naught. 

Founded in 2000, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer driven charity with a mission to fund the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancer and give survivors long and healthy lives.

An estimated 160,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with cancer each year, making the disease the leading cause of disease-related deaths in children.

In Bolingbrook, organizers John Sullivan, Rich Hillard (Bolingbrook Police Department), Kris Kuchll (who acts as treasurer) and Kim Knutsen (Romeoville Police Department) have joined in the fight forming Will County 4 Kids, which hosted a head shaving fundraiser Friday, March 11 at the Bolingbrook Golf Club.

Sullivan, a Bolingbrook police sergeant, first became involved with the St. Baldrick’s event in 2004, after Bolingbrook firefighter Dave Proffitt convinced a small group of 10 teammates to take part in the event held in Naperville.

"Since then it has grown to the point we could host our own event in Bolingbrook. This is our fourth year and the response has been phenomenal," Sullivan said. "We started out at the Holiday Inn on Remington (Boulevard) but we moved to the (Bolingbrook) Golf Club because we needed a bigger venue. When we started this, our goal was to raise $25,000. This year we expect to raise $175,000."

Now, St. Baldrick raises money by recruiting people who commit to having their heads shaved by area barbers and salon stylists. Those recruited also volunteer to collect pledges from family, friends and businesses.

The head shaving is a symbolic gesture, meant to support kids who lose their hair while undergoing chemotherapy. To date, more than 144,000 people have shaved their heads nationwide contributing about 100 million dollars to the cause.