It Must Have Been The Glare

Last Thursday was a truly spectacular evening and one that’s hard to stop thinking about. At around 7:00pm, two close friends and I went to a local tavern to celebrate St. Baldrick’s Day. I mentioned this event a few blogs posts back, but just to refresh hazy minds, St. Baldrick’s is a charity where every year around Saint Patrick’s Day, folks hold events and get their heads shaved to raise money to help fight pediatric cancer.

The team I pull for is Team Brent. Team leader Brent, is a 3 year who has cancer. Anyway, last years’ event was great fun, and in just 2 weeks, Team Brent and the 30 or so shavees raised $87,000. That made them the #1 team in the nation. A local elementary school boy Stephen who heard about the event started his own team and raised around 20k! This year, the take is at $178, 000 and RISING. Checks are still coming in, and there should be nice corporate matching dollars showing up over the summer.

This year's St. Baldrick’s event came together with more planning than the American invasion of Iraq. It looked like there would be around 60 shavees, including one woman. I happen to know the woman who shaved, and she was tremendously excited to be a part of Team Brent. She had extra motivation because her teen age daughter has cancer. Her daughter was supposed to have the honor of shaving her mom, but debilitating headaches caused by her treatments kept her home. A very sad irony, because part of what the research being funded by St. Baldrick’s is working on is to develop effective treatments free from the current intrusive and long term side effects.

I’d like to blame the glare from all the bald heads for making me teary, but in truth I started getting emotional before the first hair hit the ground. First, was the amazing energy of the crowd, but the kicker was the speech given by Mike, Brent’s dad to kick off the event. Mike spoke from his heart and it was brutal in the best way possible. In a difficult and classy moment, Mike paid tribute to a little girl who lost her battle a few months back and vowed to keep fundraising, and creating awareness as long as kids are still dying of cancer. According to Dana, when Mike finished his speech, an additional 30 or so guys, and 2 women marched over to get shaved bringing the number to over 100!

Some other elements of the evening: Dr. Joe, pediatric oncologist extraordinaire was there and spoke, and 2 of Brent’s oncology nurses from Boston attended. I already felt I knew Nurse Jen a little because she has her own wonderful blog. http://www.jenniferspencer.blogspot.com I follow closely.

What best summed up the evening for me was a scene I spied from my perch overlooking the main floor. Right after a big, imposing fellow had finished getting his scalp shaved, he got up, went over to Mike, kissed him right on top of his shiny bald head, nodded, and walked away.

In my universe, next years’ event celebrates the end of St. Baldrick’s Day because no more children have cancer. Actually, I'm pretty sure that would be the wish in anyone's universe. But the only way to make it happen is fundraising and dedicated, talented researchers nurses, and doctors.

Here’s to Brent!!!! The toughest guy I know.

Damn, the glare is getting to me again….