Christopher Turnbull, the former principal at the Ben Franklin Elementary School in Lawrence Township, made a pact with his nephew, Matthew McChesney – they would shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research.
Now, 11 years after they first sat down in the barber’s chair at the annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving fundraiser, they will again climb into one of the barber’s chairs set up at Amalfi’s Kitchen and Bar on March 14.
The head-shaving event is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the restaurant, 146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Road, Lawrence Township. The goal is to raise $75,000 for the nonprofit St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which awards grants to childhood cancer researchers.
Turnbull, who will be accompanied by his three sons, his nephews, his brother and his brother-in-law, said he signed up to participate more than a decade ago after meeting Dr. Michael McCue of Colonial Valley Chiropractic.
McCue and his wife, Dr. Melissa McCue, organized the inaugural event in 2008 and have continued to organize and support it.
“I have been fortunate enough to see the impact this event has on the community in two different school districts,” said Turnbull, who is now the principal at the Bear Tavern Elementary School in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
“It brings out the best in people and it does a tremendous amount to build empathy and compassion in our kids, which are such important traits,” Turnbull said.
The head-shaving event, which is the foundation’s signature fundraising event, is open to men, women and children. The event is held nationwide.
Participants can raise money as individuals or as part of a team. So far, nearly 200 individuals and 15 teams have signed on to raise money through pledges from family members and friends for the March 14 head-shaving event.
The Lawrenceville Elementary School is fielding a 12-member team and the Ben Franklin Elementary School has 10 team members who will walk out of the restaurant with stubble on their heads.
The Lawrence Intermediate School, the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School all have teams signed up for the event, along with teams from the Bear Tavern Elementary School and Hopewell Valley Central High School in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
Although the fundraising goal is $75,000, the event routinely raises more than the targeted amount. Last year, individuals who had their heads shaved at Amalfi’s raised $141,000, which was turned over to the foundation.
A child is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes worldwide, according to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. In the United States, cancer kills one of every five children who have been diagnosed with the disease.
The most common childhood cancer is acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to the foundation. Myeloid leukemia is not as common, but it is more difficult to treat. Other childhood cancers are Ewing sarcoma, which is a bone tumor; retinoblastoma, which is a cancer of the retina of the eye; and Wilms tumor, which is a kidney cancer.
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 fundraiser was held around St. Patrick’s Day in 2000, giving rise to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
