Participants hope to raise $50,000 for the Children’s Oncology Group research studies

Group of people who shaved their heads last year at the St. Baldricks event.

Kevin Perreira was nervous the first time he shaved his head, but he liked it so much that he has convinced three of his friends to shave their heads too.

Perreira shaved his head at last year’s St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving Event, which is an annual fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The nonprofit organization funds institutions that participate in Children’s Oncology Group research studies, such as the oncology department and Children’s Hospital Central California.

“Participants raise money from their friends, co-workers and family members in return for their willingness to have their heads shaved at the event,” said Malynda Gonzales, the volunteer event coordinator for the St. Baldrick’s event. “The shaving is an act of solidarity for children who lose their hair during cancer treatment, and the funds raised support childhood cancer research.”

Perreira, 13, is a student at Alta Sierra Intermediate School in Clovis. He said he was not sure what to expect when he attended the St. Baldrick’s event.

“At first I was really nervous, because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said.

But once he was at the event, Perreira realized shaving his head was worthwhile.

“You’re just like, ‘I’m so happy that this kid is happy right now,’” he said.

Perreira said his sister’s friend, Alex Rodriguez, died a few years ago from Leukemia. He said she was an inspiration for him at the St. Baldrick’s event.

“I thought of her, because my sister and her were very good friends,” he said.

So far, Perreira has raised $900. He and his friends expect to raise $2,500 for the event.

Gonzales, a nurse practitioner in the oncology department of Children’s Hospital Central California, said this is the second year that there has been a St. Baldrick’s event in the local area. She said participants are hoping to raise $50,000 from the event.

Gonzales said the event is open to the public, and anyone willing can shave his or her head. But the event is more than people just shaving their heads, she said. It is a time for the patients at the hospital to celebrate and feel the community’s support.

“We will have carnival games and food available for purchase,” she said. “Community heroes may also be available to sign T-shirts and take pictures with the kids.”

Gonzales said the event is sponsored by Children’s Hospital Central California and supported by the athletics department at Fresno State. She said many of the volunteers at the event will be Fresno State students.

Biology major Audra Iness is going to volunteer at the event for her first time. She said she decided to volunteer because she wanted to contribute to Children’s Hospital Central California and its cancer patients.

“I think the St. Baldrick’s event is a great opportunity for us to help, especially for such a worthy cause,” Iness said. “I also want to be a part of an event that will mean so much to the pediatric cancer patients and their families ”” especially the patients at Children’s Hospital.”

Iness said she is excited to see the children’s reactions to the event.

“I am looking forward to seeing the pleasure on the children’s faces when they see the head shaving and all of the other fun activities,” Iness said.

She said she is considering shaving her head at the event, but is torn because she also wants to grow her hair long to donate it later.

Public administration and public relations major Molly Barrett-O’Callahan is the Fresno State coordinator for the St. Baldrick’s event. She said she got involved with the event because she has been volunteering at the hospital for two years, spending much of her time in the oncology department.

Barrett-O’Callahan wanted to be a doctor, but decided it was not the right career for her. But she still sought a way to work with the children.

“Even though it’s rare, dealing with children that have been affected by cancer and families that have been affected by it, you can’t exactly walk away from that,” she said.

Barrett-O’Callahan said child oncology units are regularly under funded because they are not a high priority when distributing funds. She said the St. Baldrick’s event is a good way to raise money for the oncology department, because the funds go directly to oncology departments, not to hospitals at large.

She said the event was originally planned to take place on the Track & Field at Fresno State, but it had to be moved to the hospital because so many people are expected to attend. She said the move is exciting, because more of the patients will be able to go to the event.

“Kids who otherwise might not be able to leave the hospital might be able to come down,” she said.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the back lawn of Children’s Hospital Central California.