Parma's St. Charles School hosts 'Baldrick's' fundraiser for pediatric cancer research

PARMA, Ohio - A local school in Parma looked a little more like a barber shop on Friday morning, but with a greater cause.

Students and staff at St. Charles School in Parma were taking part in a St. Baldrick’s event.  The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding research to find cures for childhood cancers. The Foundation coordinates its signature head-shaving events worldwide, where volunteers get bald to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer and raise money to support life-saving childhood cancer research.  The events are always held around St. Patrick’s Day.

For the students at St. Charles, the experience was extra special as the school has three families that have been affected by cancer. Last month, 11-year-old Anthony Kashi died of brain cancer, and two other young school children are also fighting cancer.

One of those students, 6-year-old Emily, a kindergartner fighting leukemia, was able to see her father and brother get their heads shaved in her honor.

The school was in ‘competition’ with St. Christopher School in Rocky River, who also has three children affected by cancer.  Both schools have female principals and both had their long hair shaved completely off for the fundraiser event.

St. Baldrick's events are the largest volunteer-driven fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. The St. Charles event was a huge success, bringing in more than $30,000 for the foundation.