Photo by Alan M. Dumoff
Members of Our Lady of Peace Cub Pack 161 Williamstown, have their heads shaved in the Collingswood Grand Ballroom on Sunday, March 20 in a fundraising effort for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a charity that supports childhood cancer patients and raises funds for cancer research. Seven Scouts, seven Scout leaders and nine parents participated, raising $10,400.
Reed Schill, 8, got the ball rolling, or, to be more accurate, the razors buzzing.
For the third year Reed, of Our Lady of Peace Cub Pack 161 Williamstown, was planning to have his head shaved for the St Baldrick’s Foundation. In other words, he is a “shavee.”
St. Baldrick’s shavees shave their head in solidarity with kids fighting cancer while raising money from friends and family. Reed has been participating in honor of another scout family whose son was diagnosed with lukemia at 16 months.
At a recent monthly Cub Scout meeting Mark Diienno, Cubmaster, acknowledged Reed’s efforts.
“At that moment a man yelled out if I were to join Reed, he would shave his head also,” said Diienno.
“Another man jumped up — Mike Mosco — and offered a $50 donation for anyone who would join Reed in his cause. Then he upped it to $100 then $200, and at that 22 men, women and children stood up and joined Reed and me in the middle of the gym floor,” he said.
Diienno said the group raised $10,400 in 15 days. A dozen barbers donated their time. The two female shavees, and a woman with waist-length hair who got a short haircut, donated their hair to Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.