Zoe Prikril stood behind the velvet rope, hopping up and down as she waited for her turn to sit in the hairdresser’s chair.
Master of Ceremonies Dan Beal, who was presiding over the annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser at Amalfi’s Cuisine in Lawrence Township, called out, “Where is the 12:30 p.m. crowd? Go take your seats.”
Zoe raced around the velvet rope and hopped into the hairdresser’s chair, all smiles. The hairdresser pulled some of Zoe’s long brown hair in a rubber band and held it over the little girl’s head for the crowd of spectators.
“You are one brave little girl,” Beal said as the crowd chanted, “Go, Zoe, go.”
Then, with a few snips of the hairdresser’s scissors and an electric razor to finish it off, Zoe’s tresses landed on the floor. All that remained was a fuzzy brown stubble, highlighted by red and blue patches on her scalp left over from the hair dye she used earlier in the week.
Zoe was one of 230 “shavees” who signed up to have their heads shaved to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research March 9 – and one of a handful of girls who dared to go under the barber’s shears.he
Zoe, who is 8 years old, decided to have her head shaved about two weeks before the event, said her mother, Jennifer Hsiao. In those two weeks, she raised more than $900 in pledges from family and friends.
Zoe’s cousin was diagnosed with leukemia and it is now in remission, Hsiao said. Zoe knows what it is like to be bald, and that’s why she decided to take part in the fundraiser, she said.
“I would definitely describe Zoe as fearless,” Hsiao said.
Zoe said she has a lot of hair, but some children – those who have cancer and are undergoing treatment – do not have any hair.
“I’m not afraid to have my head shaved. I know it will grow back sometime, so it’s okay,” Zoe said as she rubbed her hand across her newly-shaved head.
Meanwhile, this marked the 11th year that the head-shaving event – the brainchild of Drs. Michael and Melissa McCue of Colonial Valley Chiropractic – has been held in Lawrence Township.
More than $141,000 was raised during the five-hour “shave-a-thon” at Amalfi’s Cuisine, which will be used by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to support childhood cancer research.
The head-shaving event is the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s signature fundraising event. Last year, the fundraiser generated nearly $36,000 nationwide from men, women and children – boys and girls – who agreed to shave their heads.
The genesis for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and its head-shaving fundraiser grew out of a challenge issued by one successful businessman to his equally successful friends in 1999. He asked them what they would do to give back to the community.
They all agreed to shave their heads to raise money for children with cancer. The first head-shaving event was held around St. Patrick’s Day in 2000, giving rise to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.