Hair today, gone tomorrow - for $300,000

The Bermuda Athletic Association is on target to beat its $300,000 fundraising target for a children’s cancer charity, organisers revealed tonight.

Around 50 people were expected to have had their heads shaved at the BAA as part of the BAA fundraiser for the US-founded St Baldrick’s Foundation, which has raised a total of more than $100 million for children’s cancer research since it was founded 12 years ago.

Stacey Pimentel, 36, said she could raise up to a staggering $50,000 with matching funding from her company Ariel Re in Hamilton.

Ms Pimentel, a computer programmer from St David’s, had her hair, which fell well past her shoulders, cut down to stubble.

And – to help her cope with the cut – she enlisted husband Chris to wield the clippers.

She said: “I did it just to raise money for the kids. It doesn’t bother me at all that I’ve lost my hair. It’s such a good cause. Why wouldn’t I do it?”

Randell Woolridge teamed up with colleague Shoshana Williams to shave her head to raise a total more than $5,600 for St Baldrick’s between them.

Ms Woolridge, from Sandys and a 39-year-old executive secretary in a Hamilton legal firm, said two aunts diagnosed with cancer last year had spurred her on.

She added that her parents and one of the cancer-hit aunts and her daughter had visited Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute.

Her mother donated more than two dozen hand-crocheted hats, made by herself and her sister, to the youngsters undergoing treatment there.

Ms Woolridge said: “When I heard how happy the children were to receive a hat, I was prompted to carry out the task so as to help raise money to help find a cure for this horrible disease.”

And Ms Woolridge said she would be travelling to Boston next month and planned to stop off at the centre with another consignment of hats for the children, many of whom have lost their hair as a result of treatment.

Ms Williams said one of her own sons was born four months’ premature and needed overseas treatment to survive.

She added that a friend who supported her then later started an island charity for children with cancer.

She said she was inspired by two friends who took part in previous St Baldrick’s Day events.

Ms Williams added: “I am reminded that I am not my hair and take this opportunity to stand in solidarity with those that do not have a choice when it comes to losing their hair due to cancer treatment, for those that have lost their battle and for the families and friends that those angels left behind.”

Young Pete Coleman, 9, from Warwick and a pupil at Somersfield Academy, volunteered to have his head shaved after hearing about the charity – and pulled in around $100 in the process.

He said: “It will help other people. I was planning to get a haircut anyway, but decided to do St Baldrick’s instead. I might do it next year again.”

Father Paul said: “I am proud of him – he wanted to do this.”

The St Baldrick’s Foundation was founded in 2001 in a New York bar as a group of friends celebrated St Patrick’s Day, which falls this year on Sunday.

The event – held on the Friday closest to the saint’s day of March 17 - has since mushroomed into an international event.

Kate Daly, lead organiser of the BAA event, said: “We have had several hundred people in. And we’ve had a lot of women volunteering to have their heads shaved this year – more women than men, and they’ve had long, beautiful hair.

“We’re really trying to encourage the Bermuda community to get involved because it started out here with the exempt companies about 12 years ago.

“A lot of Bermuda has now come in – it’s great and a very successful fundraiser. It would be great to exceed our $300,000 target.”

Ms Daly said: “This the premier event, but the donations are open for another two months.”