Sooners to shave heads to support children with cancer

Students have the chance to get their heads shaved on campus to give hope to thousands of children, teens and young adults fighting childhood cancers.

Alpha Phi Omega will be holding a head-shaving event to raise awareness and fund research for children’s cancer from noon to 6 p.m Thursday on the South Oval.

The event will raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a national nonprofit charity that raises money for children’s cancer research by putting on events where people voluntarily shave their heads to show support for children with cancer.

Alpha Phi Omega started supporting St. Baldrick’s in 2011, said event chairwoman Kitty Raadschelders. This will be the third head-shaving event­ — the second this year — with St. Baldrick’s so far.

“The main thing that St. Baldrick’s is about is shaving heads to show that you can be beautiful bald,” Raadschelders said.

About 30 people volunteered to get their heads shaved on campus at the event in the spring, Raadschelders said. She expects more people to volunteer this year, because 20 people already have signed up, and more people likely will volunteer as they walk by and see people getting their heads shaved.

Seven female students have signed up to have their heads shaved, including herself, Raadschelders said.

Shaving your head helps to show support for the children who have been diagnosed with cancer, Raadschelders said.

Dana Soulen, Alpha Phi Omega member and social work sophomore, also volunteered to have her head shaved at the event.

Soulen never has shaved her head before, but she is ready for the drastic change because she has known several people with cancer, she said.

“If something like shaving my head can help to raise money to find a cure so no more have to suffer through [cancer], I am willing to do it,” she said.

St. Baldrick’s supplied two professional barbers to shave heads at the event, Raadschelders said.

Students, faculty and staff who volunteer to get their heads shaved will get a free T-shirt and food at the event, she said. There also will be a bake sale, disc jockey and games.

“In today’s world, almost everyone knows of at least one person to be diagnosed with cancer,” Soulen said.

Each year, 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide, according to the St. Baldrick’s website. Cancer is the number-one disease that kills children in the U.S. and Canada.

This event is important for our generation because it will fund research to cure the disease in the future, Soulen said.

St. Baldrick’s has raised almost $33 million toward cancer research this year alone, according to its website.

Donate or sign up to have your head shaved or serve as a volunteer at St. Baldrick’s website.

Arianna Pickard

Arianna is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Campus Reporter and Campus Editor.