Campbellsville University

CU’s St. Baldrick’s will raise over $25,000 for children’s cancer

CU’s St. Baldrick’s will raise over $25,000 for children’s cancer

03/25/2015

Haley Dallas, fourth from left, receives a kiss on her newly shaved head from her fellow Lady Tiger Tennis Team member Megan Charity after Haley shaved her head at St. Baldrick's. Other tennis team members congratulating her were from left: Meg Brown, Jenna Sallee, Jade Letheby, Anna Tumanyan and Lindy Charity. (Campbellsville University Photo by Mikayla Smith)

Haley Dallas, fourth from left, receives a kiss on her newly shaved head from her fellow Lady Tiger Tennis Team member Megan Charity after Haley shaved her head at St. Baldrick’s. Other tennis team members congratulating her were from left: Meg Brown, Jenna Sallee, Jade Letheby, Anna Tumanyan and Lindy Charity. (Campbellsville University Photo by Mikayla Smith)

March 25, 2015
For Immediate Release

 

By Mikayla Smith, student news writer

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Shaving heads for a cure will have brought in nearly $25,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation from St. Baldrick's “Shaving for a Cure” Saturday in Powell Athletic Center on the Campbellsville University campus.

Forty-six men, women and children gathered Powell Athletic Center to shave their heads to raise money for children with cancer. The event brought in $18,000 for head shaving, and, with silent and private auctions and April 19's Color to Conquer event (3 p.m. in Miller Park), a total of nearly $25,000 should be collected, according to Donna Wise, chair of human performance/assistant professor of physical education and athletics at CU.

This year marks the eighth year for St. Baldrick's in Campbellsville. Since it has started, $300,000 has been raised with the help of Dance Maroon and Color to Conquer 5K events in Campbellsville.

“I'm passionate about St. Baldrick's because I don't want others to experience the journey of a family with a child with cancer,” Wise said.

Perry Thomas, head football coach at Campbellsville University, had his head shaved at St. Baldrick's March 21. (Campbellsville University Photo by Mikayla Smith)
Perry Thomas, head football coach at Campbellsville University, had his head
shaved at St. Baldrick's March 21. (Campbellsville University Photo by
Mikayla Smith)

Wise has been the organizer of the event from the beginning.

Wise has a grandson, son of Max Wise, assistant professor of political science at CU, who was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma.

“We spent nearly 10 months traveling to the 7th floor of Kosairs (Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.). I held Carter's (grandson of Wise) hand in the initial MRI scan and the eyes of the technicians behind the window are stares I never forget.”

Wise added that a pediatric cancer funding bill (Senate Bill 82) her son, Max, who is also a state senator, sponsored, has been sent to the governor's desk for signature. She said this allows a person to allocate any portion of their tax return for pediatric cancer funding.

As Wise spoke at Saturday's event, she read the names and the stories of local children with cancer.
She also said, “The one thing about being diagnosed with cancer is it is like a birthday, an anniversary, except it's the date you get the news you didn't want to hear.”

The local list is now up to 10 children, two of those children who have died.

Haley Dallas, a junior psychology major from Paducah, Ky., was one of the shavees this year. Dallas, who is on the Lady Tiger Tennis Team, was inspired by Bailey Foxworth who shaved her head last spring.

“She looked so beautiful and raised so much money. Then about a month ago an old friend of mine from middle school, Ali Long, lost her battle to cancer at the age of 20. Seeing the amazing impact she had on so many people and watching her fight made me realize how important this organization is,” Dallas said.

Paul Taylor, who is a sophomore broadcasting major from Versailles, Ky., was inspired by his mom to shave his head.

“Honestly, I've always thought that this was a cool way to show support. Shaving my head and giving some money is the least I can do for such an awesome cause. My mom works as a pediatric oncologist at UK Hospital and has for some time now. So she is literally on the front lines of childhood cancer research,” Taylor said.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation began on March 17, 2000 when three businessmen shaved 17 individuals' heads to raise $17,000. Since then, St. Baldrick's has raised almost $155 million in the U.S. and internationally.

Every three minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer, worldwide; and 1 in 285 children in the U.S. will have cancer before the age of 20. This is why St. Baldrick's exist.

Wise felt that something should be done locally eight years ago to bring awareness to childhood cancer in Campbellsville.

“Richard and Linda RoBards, Rhonda Tatum, Max Wise and I organized our first event in 2008 and raised $56,000,” Wise said.

Since then the community has helped get to the $300,000 mark.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.