Bald is beautiful - And it can help fight children's cancer, too

August 2005

At the Cutting Edge salon on Francis Avenue, when a customer asks for "a little off the top" it can go straight to the bottom line.

The bottom line of an organization dedicated to raising money to find a cure for children’s cancer.

The event is called St. Baldrick’s and, like many of the world’s best ideas, it began with three key elements: men, beer, and hair.

If this was a children’s story, it could be summed up in one sentence: the men drank the beer and lost the hair. However, it’s actually a "help the children" story, so it becomes a bit longer.

The St. Baldrick’s website tells the tale:

"On the 3rd of July 1999, John Bender and Enda McDonnell visited their friend Tim Kenny at his Northport Hair Loss on Long Island, New York. The three played a round of golf together and as often happens after a day of laughs and sunshine, the party continued into the wee hours of July 4th on Tim’s deck. Sometime between midnight and dawn, Tim issued a challenge to John and Enda, reminding them their professions and community had been good to them and it was time to give back. Tim wouldn’t let them go to sleep until they had a plan.

The three - all reinsurance industry executives - decided to turn their industry’s famed St. Patrick’s Day party into a benefit for a good cause. Having known some kids with cancer growing up, they decided to raise some funds for research, but what could they do that would really turn the heads of their industry colleagues?

Anyone who has met Enda will tell you he’s a dashing fellow – so John said, "Enda, let’s shave your head. Kids lose their hair during cancer treatments so it’s a good fit, and people will pay to see you bald!"

Never one to miss a good opportunity, Enda said, "I will if you will, John" and St. Baldrick’s was born. The three planned to raise "$17,000 on the 17th" of March – by recruiting 17 colleagues to each raise $1,000. At the end of the first St. Baldrick’s Day, March 17, 2000, over $104,000 had been raised!"

Fast forward to Kimberly DeBoy – who, for the record, has a full head of very nice hair – owner of the local full-service salon. A friend of a cousin, Candy Richardson, had organized a St. Baldrick’s event "at a small church in Laurel Park" in 2004, "and she needed a licensed barber to do the shaving."

Cancer has certainly touched Kim’s family – both of her parents are cancer survivors – and the poster child for St. Baldrick’s was the same age as her stepson "and really inspired me" – so Kim agreed.

When Candy told Kim the church was unavailable for the 2005 event on St. Patrick’s Day, Kim agreed to host the event at her Halethorpe shop, and the Baltimore baldies, as they’re known, had a new Hair Loss.

Over 125 people cam, despite weather that turned rainy (the event was originally inside; the Cutting Edge is fairly small) the group raised over $12,000 ("donations are still coming in") for the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

The real commitment, though, wasn’t Kim, but her husband, Joe’s: the sales executive for Westland period raised about $2,000 by having his head shaved. (("All the girls at work say he looks younger," noted Kim. "I don’t think he minds having a shaved head at all.")

Nationally, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation reported raising over $5 million in 2005, with events in six countries. Sadly, Maryland boasts only one — the aforementioned Baltimore Baldies — which is why Kim has issued a challenge — she’d like to see other salons in the area organize their own events, and compete to see who can raise the most money and shave the most heads. "I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do this," she said. "It was amazing how many people wanted to help."

Help, she said, came from area businesses as well as individuals, including the 13 who agreed to have their heads shaved (men and women, by the by), as well as the dozens who donated food, supplies, time and money. Freedom Pharmacy, which shares her building, was particularly supportive, along with many friends and family members. (And as an Arbutus native, Kim knows an awful lot of people in the area.)

Although people can donate any time, and donations are coming in, Kim knows the real money comes from the event itself, and she and Candy are planning the 2006 shave-a-thon, which will come "as close to St. Patrick’s Day as we can." With a 900 sq. ft. shop, Kim is thinking about finding another, larger venue for next year, with more chairs, more barbers, and more heads ready to be shorn.

In other words: bigger, better and balder.