And now... I am bald

So here we are, a little over six weeks after I began the St. Baldrick's journey.  Six weeks ago I looked like this:

Now I look like this:

 Photo Credit: J. Greg Jordan

So what was it like- in a word- AMAZING!  This has been one of the best decisions and experiences of my life.  As a theater kid, making drastic changes to my appearances was par for course.  The shaving of my head really wasn't too much of a worry for me.  The part that moved my emotions in crazy, unpredictable ways came from the fundraising and support.  In the course of six weeks I had originally thought that raising $1000 would take work and effort.  I set out a fundraising plan to get me there:

Step one: Put it out on social media- what I am doing, why I am doing it, how you can help through posts and pictures

Step Two: Let the places I work know what I am doing, why I am doing it, how they can help by putting out information and donation jars

Step Three: Let my community know what I am doing, why I am doing it, how they can help by hanging up fliers around town

Step Four: Let local business professionals know what I am doing, why I am doing it, how they can help through hand written letters with information included to spread the word 

This seemed like a solid plan for the six week period to get to that $1000 total.

However, I hit that total after step one and two, within one week!  This was a humbling moment for me because people are asked to support a lot of great causes, and it is sometimes hard to support even the ones you really want to. Money is tight sometimes but in the course of one week- my friends and family showed amazing generosity that left me floored.  I couldn't stop though- I still had two steps to go in my fundraising plan.  So I kept going.

I raised my goal total on my online profile to $2500 but secretly thought "What if I could get matching funds from the business professionals and hit $5000?"  So, when I sent out my letters that is what I expressed to all those awesome local business people I know.  Everyday I inched closer and closer.  Patrons at the pub where I worked continued supporting me each day.  Family and friends gave what they could.

When the big day finally arrived, I totaled up where I was at with donations and it came to just over $4000.  Tears filled my eyes as I stood in front of a huge crowd of family, friends, patrons and community members and announced my estimated total.  The things that move me is how in a world full of so much negativity, the people I am lucky enough to have in my life can be filled with so much hope, love, support, kindness and generosity.  This is what brings tears to my eyes, even now as write this.  I am very, very lucky to have all of these very special and supportive souls in my life!

So then I sat down in the chair.  The stylist banded the 21 inches of hair that would be mailed off to "Wigs for Kids" (this company works specifically with kids who are suffering from hair loss for a variety of reason but especially those undergoing cancer treatment).  Then the shaving began, and that was a very interesting feeling.  The razors buzzed back and forth across my scalp. There were no mirrors except for all of the faces of my family and friends watching and cheering as my hair slowly came away from my scalp.  It was intense and absolutely full of joy!  Pictures and videos recorded the whirlwind that I still have not fully processed as the stylist finished and I stood up on the chair to shout "BALD IS BEAUTIFUL!"  The stylist then handed me those long locks and I held them high beside my now bald head. Exhilarating!
(Photo credits: Emporia Gazette and Cathy Gilligan)

                                

Then, after I thought it was all done- it wasn't.  Suddenly there was a donation cup full of money in my hand. My father with tears in the corners of his eyes was pressing money into the palm of my hand as he hugged me. As I went around town with friends, it seemed everyone I hadn't seen yet was handing me a few more dollars.  Then when the day was winding down and my tired bones were ready to call it a night, I logged into my online donation profile to see that there had been several more donations over the course of the day.  I was just under or right at the pie in the sky; hardly hoped for; wanted to hit but didn't think I actually would total of $5000.  I went to sleep that night with tears in my eyes- not because I was missing my long hair- but because I was overcome with humbleness from the support of my family, my friends (both near and far), and my amazing community that rallies for a cause in a way that moves me.   I AM SO LUCKY!

This was by far one of the best things I have ever done.   It reminded me how lucky I am that I have the "CHOICE" to do this when so many others do not.  Losing hair is one of the many side effects of treatments for cancer- there has to be a better way.  Though I will say, hair is not what makes us beautiful.  All day people were telling me how beautiful I look, how my eyes pop, how much more distinctive my features seem now.   Hair is just a feature, a feature that will grow back eventually for me.  What makes us beautiful is that light inside of us that radiates through our eyes, and our faces, our nonverbal signals that tell the world the each of us is special in our own unique way when you look past those exterior features. SO WORTH IT!

The money raised at this event, along with the money raised at several other similar events around the country has already raised over $18 million this year that will go to the best, most promising research.  Someday- it will make a difference for families with children who just want to be kids but instead must battle cancer.  That matters. That matters to me. So I thank you for reading about this, because now you know more and can spread the word for next year or maybe even sign up to shave your head by choice- because bald is beautiful!

www.stbaldricks.org

Humbled and Amazed

In the continuation of my blogging for a cause series, I have to share the overwhelming feelings that have surged this week.

When I initially signed up to #Bravetheshave for St. Baldrick's I had to set a fundraising goal.  When I chose this number I thought carefully about what I thought I could raise, what the people I know would be able to donate and I decided on $1000.  I thought that this would be a difficult number to reach, that it would take me the 6 weeks to get there; then I reached that goal in one week!

Humbled, that was the overwhelming feeling inside of me that I was connected to so many generous souls that made my goal a reality in only one week.  At that moment I could have simply stopped, and been complacent with reaching that starting goal.  However, this is a cause that I believe in and if I could raise that much in one week... how much could I raise in the remaining five.  So I raised the goal and started working towards making a bigger impact, to make the golden locks on my head that will be shaved on March 14th worth more.  So now I am reaching out, reaching further to raise more money for this worthy cause.  Won't you be a part of this journey?  Even a few dollars can make a difference!

Visit www.stbaldricks.org to find an event near you or
https://www.stbaldricks.org/participant/mypage/751043/2015

Blogging for a cause!

EXCITING NEWS!

So last night at my job as I was trying to encourage people to donate, one person was asking me for some details about the event and why I was doing this particular event.  I explained the fact that I can't give as generously as I would like to the various charities I support, that I am not the most athletic minded person in the world so it is hard to find events that I can participate in, but that this event allows me to do something in a way that fits my personality.  They then asked why this charity matters and I  said,

"There are far too many names to list of people in my life that have fought, are fighting, or lost the fight with cancer. I truly believe that any breakthroughs on cancer research at any level will lead to breakthroughs with all types of cancer."

Then they expressed that, if I was going to shave my head they wanted it to be worth while and asked what my donation goal was.  I told them $1000 and they said the most amazing thing in return... "If you reach that goal, let me know and I will match the funds."

Tears! I kid you not, there at work, tears sprung to my eyes that this effort could be even greater, at the generosity of those who have the means to be generous, and that in just one week I feel like I am doing something so important and meaningful!

Right now I am at 33% of my goal after the first week and I have 5 more to go!  Let's DO this!

www.stabaldricks.org/participants/mypage/751043/2015

Blogging for a Good Cause

All right blog readers (if there still are any of you out there),

I realize that keeping up on this blog sort of took a back seat and I have been neglecting it for far too long.  I can not promise that I will keep up better in the future, but I return now for a really good reason and worthy cause.

Over the past few years I have been growing my hair out mainly out of sheer laziness to schedule a hair cut.  I will confess here in the blogusphere that I typically only get my haircut maybe once a year. (hard to believe but completely true).  Last year I decided to let it grow as long as I could before I did something drastic and dramatic- Shaving my head.

Now hold on! You haven't heard the whole story yet.  I am not a woman of means or disposable income, but I have always tried to give where I could.  If I couldn't give money, I always try to give support, time, spreading the word, or some other way of showing solidarity for the causes I believe in.  I have really great friends and family that bike, swim, walk, run and train like crazy to raise funds for important organizations. Alas, this is never going to be an arena I see myself becoming a participating part of- I am sure I can do some of those things (I can walk a 5K) but it doesn't really speak to me, the type of person I am.  Then, I made an important decision of how I would become someone who helped fight for a very important cause that is close to my heart, and it involves hair.

St. Baldrick's is a fundraising campaign that raises money to support pediatric cancer research and they have an event in my hometown on the day we hold our St. Patrick's Day Parade.   This event is going to let me use my amazing hair growing skills to not only help create wigs for kids with cancer but also raise funds to fight cancer.  It has always been my firm belief that ANY breakthrough with ANY kind of cancer research will lead to breakthroughs in all cancer research like a domino effect.  I want there to be BETTER, SAFER, MORE EFFECTIVE treatments for all kinds of cancer if not FINDING A CURE.   So, I decided to participate and so- I am shaving my head.

On March 14th I will be going from this:

To no hair at all!  I invite you, dear blog readers to be apart of this journey in whatever way you can be.  

Support:

Read the blog, share the blog, just be  apart of the journey

Participate:

Find your own event and signup at http://www.stbaldricks.org/

Donate:

Even $5.00 can make a difference, if you are in a position to help monetarily please consider a donation by going here  https://www.stbaldricks.org/mypage/participant/751043/2015 

I am really excited about this journey and hopeful that I can meet and maybe even exceed my personal fundraising goal. CANCER SUCKS!  I want to be a part of the solution in my own small way and I hope you find a way to be apart of it too, whatever way it may be!