March 8, 2007
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech baseball team issued a challenge to its fans nearly two months ago–for every $250 that they donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, one member of the team would shave his head to support children that have been affected by cancer in their lives.
The Yellow Jacket baseball parents, fans and media didn’t disappoint the team, eclipsing the $5,000 goal set by the squad, prompting the 15 remaining members of the team to challenge fans to keep donating with the chance to see more Yellow Jackets shave their heads while assisting in the fight to find a cure for childhood cancer.
Twenty members of the team are currently scheduled to have their heads shaved following the Yellow Jackets’ baseball game against Boston College Saturday, March 17, on a day when there will be multiple families and children present that have been affected by childhood cancer. (For more information on obtaining tickets for the March 17 St. Baldrick’s Day game, please contact Jennifer Pierce in the Georgia Tech Marketing Office at 404-894-4400 or Noel Whelchel in the Georgia Tech Ticket Office at 404-894-5447).
Up until now, fans have only been able to donate online, but for all three games this weekend against Virginia Tech, as well as both the Friday and Saturday games against Boston College next week, there will be volunteers on-hand inside the Gate 3 entrance at Russ Chandler Stadium to collect additional donations for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. At the same time, fans can see who is already scheduled for shaving next weekend, as well as which player would be next.
St. Baldrick’s began in 1999 and is now the world’s biggest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer. Events have taken place in 10 countries and 42 U.S. States, raising over $20 million and shaving more than 26,000 heads.
It began when a group of Irish friends were trying to find a way to repay their good fortune by giving to others. They decided to turn a St. Patrick’s Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer, but struggled to find what would turn heads – and open the wallets – of their colleagues. One friend suggested shaving another’s head, since kids typically lose their hair during cancer treatment, and another said that he would gladly pay to see the man bald. Thus, St. Baldrick’s was born.
The largest St. Baldrick’s Foundation grants have gone to the Children’s Oncology Group, the world’s foremost childhood cancer research organization, consisting of 230 research institutions working cooperatively to find cures. Six fellowships have also been funded to encourage the best and brightest new doctors to pursue careers in childhood cancer research. Twenty-six other grants have been made to local institutions for research.
For those fans still interested in donating, or those just interested in seeing members of the team bald, go to http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/event_info.html?EventID=121# to make a gift that could benefit a child with cancer.
