In 2012, my son, Brendan, told me about a kid at school that had shaved his head for cancer. And that's how we found St. Baldrick's. We shaved for the first time in 2013, so this will be our 6th year shaving. Over the course of the past 5 years, we have been awestruck by the generosity of our friends, family, and extended network. We have averaged more than $3700 per year, which makes us swell with pride and gratitude.

This year, we are returning to our roots and shaving at the New Hope-Solebury Community Event on March 17, which is targeting 125 shavees. We are providing two heads and a goal of $3000, to the effort. Plus, Brendan has made an additional offer. For each $1000 we raise, Brendan will keep his head shaved for an additional week. Given the rich crop of hair he offers, that will more than make up for my meager offering.

As we have for the past several years, we shave in honor of Meg Dunican and Oliver Edson. Meg is Brendan's aunt, and Oliver is the son of Luke and Jen Edson, friends of mine from Holyoke. I appreciate the good health of my children, but never take it for granted, because I've seen parents deal with the pain of this unimaginable loss. Thank you for your support of our small effort to spare future parents from this pain.