The New Hyde Park Dad’s Club sponsored the St. Baldrick’s Foundation on March 18. This foundation is a volunteer-based charity, which has the objective of raising money for childhood cancer.
Normally held at various parishes around the town, this was the first year that the Dad’s Club at New Hyde Park Memorial High School sponsored the event, hoping to entice more kids to participate.
This isn’t just a simple donation drive or fundraising campaign, but rather, people line up to have their heads shaved in support of this great cause.
“I’ve been doing this for seven years now through the parish,” said Matt Doering, a New Hyde Park student. He was excited that the school was sponsoring the event.
High School principal Rich Faccio noted that the Dad’s Club set a goal of $5,000. As of the day of the event, they had raised over $1,000, an impressive number considering that this fundraising campaign was mostly focusing on just the high school.
“The main goal of this is to raise money for childhood cancer,” Faccio said.
In the main lobby of the school, five chairs were set up with stylists from local salons manning the operation and nervous, yet excited students waiting for the first pieces of hair to fall.
A crowd of supportive friends looked on in awe as they saw their classmates transform right in front of them.
Gary Arman, the vice president of the Dad’s Club, and Mike Horan, treasurer of the club, were looking on from the donation table, counting money and handing out shirts in support of the cause. Smiles across their faces, they remarked how excited they were to see the great turnout, considering that this was the first time they had sponsored the event.
One of the stylists, David from David’s Barbershop, was very happy to be a part of the occasion. He commented that this was his first time giving kids buzz cuts for this cause, and within 30 minutes of the start time for the campaign, he already had five or six customers.
His next volunteer, Arman, who was all smiles as he sat down in the chair and had the protective cloth draped over him, was ready to shave his head in support of the noble charity.
The Dad’s Club rallied a large number of students and raised a considerable amount of money for childhood cancer. Dad’s Club reps feel they will continue this tradition in the future, inspiring an even larger response next year.
