This April 11th, I will again join my father (and possibly my brother) in the fight against cancer. We will be showing our support of those battling cancer by shaving our heads for the St. Baldricks foundation at the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital. For those not familiar with this foundation, it was started in 2005 with the premise of both showing solidarity for children battling cancer and also to raise funds for childhood cancer research. Last year, the organization rose over $33 million dollars with 83% of the funds going to childhood cancer research.

I started shaving my head in 2006. This will be my 8th year participating and I am very honored and humbled to be doing this event again. When I first started this event I didn’t think much about the meaning behind shaving your head. I was a freshman in college and I always wondered what my head would look like bald. Plus, the cause was very close to my heart as my father is a pediatric oncologist and has made a career out of running studies and developing research which yields increased rates of survival for children diagnosed with cancer. I thought that this will be my way to help in the fight too.

I had no idea of the meaning behind shaving your head. I soon realized its importance. On my first St. Baldricks event on a cold Colorado day in March, I witnessed something special. I saw a whole community of those affected by cancer come out to support one another. I saw children with cancer and their families and they were smiling and laughing and having a great time. They didn’t have to worry about cancer, not on this day. This day was meant for them. It was a celebration of their lives and an acknowledgement of their journey.

So, by the end of the event, when I went up to the stage to have my head shaved, my reasons for participating had changed. I was not doing it for superfluous reasons anymore. I wanted to shave my head, to tell those children and their families that you are not alone. Life may get hard at times, but you are not alone. When you feel it is too much and you feel like giving up, just remember, you are not alone. You are not alone because I am with you. We are with you.

So now I ask all of you, please, join me in support of these brave children. Join the fight against cancer by donated on my head and funding the research that helps to increase the survival rate of these children. Donate whatever you can; one dollar, five dollars, any amount that works for you. Together we can make a difference. Before you donate, go to the website, http://www.stbaldricks.org/, to learn more about this organization. To donate on my head, go to my personal page, http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/613800/2013.

Finally, I want to personally thank all of those people who have donated on my head in the past. Your support and kindness gives me great pride. I am honored to know such an amazing group of individuals. Thank you and keep it up.