Saltus dads support their sons

It’s a case of like son, like father rather than it being the other way around.

Three Saltus’ dads shaved their heads as their sons shaved theirs as they raised money for St Baldrick’s Foundation and PALS.

Dave Bart and son Bobby, Rick Olson and son Fritz and Reid Young and son Lucas all took part in last Friday’s head shaving ceremony at Saltus Upper Primary.

A total of 46 children took part and raised $117,576 (as of noon Tuesday) for St Baldrick’s and thousands of dollars for PALs.

The Barts: Bobby knows he’s helping

Dave, who is general manager at Applied Computer Technology, did it to support his son Bobby, 7, a P3 student.

“The last couple of years my son has been threatening to do it but has backed out. I always told him if ‘you ever decide to do it, then I would do it with you’.”

Mr Bart said his son is very self-aware for being just eight.

“He understood this was for a very good cause for kids his age are sick in the world and if he could help raise money for them and that hit home for him. He realized it was more than just shaving his head and looking goofy, but about raising money for a good cause.

“If I could support him in that by shaving my head, then why not?”

Dave said his father and other older family members who have expressed to him this will be a moment they will treasure forever.

“They said when ‘you look back on this later in life, everyone will think this is a pretty neat experience and it will be a really great thing to be done between a father and a son.

“I think that already — it’s a great father-son bonding experience. To be able to do that with Bobby is great. I wouldn’t have done it unless he was doing it so I’m glad he got the gumption to do it. It will be one of those things we look back on and cherish.”

He added cancer has affected everyone.

“We just shaved our heads, but I would have shaved my whole body for something like this.”

Mr Bart also had praise for Saltus for having the foresight to raise cancer awareness through the St Baldrick’s event.

“Saltus has done an excellent job with this initiative. They do a very, very good job with this.

“The kids were all very excited and there were chanting people’s names; there were lots of pictures being taken; and they brought in the parents; so it was a great atmosphere.”

He added Saltus does a great job in helping the students realize what the money is going towards.

“They let them know there are lots of kids in similar age categories in are much worse condition. They do a very great job in creating awareness and creating a great atmosphere in the gym.”

Bobby Bart raised just over $6,300 as of Wednesday evening.

“And we’re hoping a few more dollars will trickle in over the next few weeks.”

The Olsons: I have to support my kid

Rick Olson, owner of The Bistro at the Beach, and his son Fritz, a P4 student, both gladly shorn their locks. Maybe Rick more so as he had dyed his hair green two weeks prior to the event.

Rick said: “I have to support my kid. He was so psyched to do it at nine-years-old. I said ‘If he’s going to do it, then I’m going to help him out by raising a little bit more money’.”

Rick dyed his hair green to draw attention to himself and be asked why his hair was green and then increase donations for his son.

“The bar patrons did give a fairly substantial amount of money — probably close to a $1,000. Plus all my staff gave $20, which was $560, which was really nice when your staff gives it.”

Fritz raised just shy of $5,500.

“I was very much looking forward to getting my head shaved after dying it green.”

He said Fritz is already excited about shaving his head again in 2014.

“He had so much fun — just hanging out with the guys and doing something with a group of people. It really brought people together and he enjoyed that aspect of it.

“It also surely bonds father and son together when you do something like that — it was a team effort.”

Rick said Fritz is named after his grandfather, who died of cancer.

Rick said his son never met his grandfather, who died a couple of months before he was born.

“That’s why we named him after him. But most families have three or four family members who have been stricken with that and most of them haven’t made it so that’s a personal reason to get involved.

He said the best thing about the event was “the energy in the room where the kids got their haircut. The kids were pumped out of their minds. They were vocal, they were rowdy to see their buddies getting shaved.

“I was very glad to be a part of it. The energy just brought a tear to my eyes to see the kids fired up for something like this.”

The Youngs: We’ll always cherish this

Reed Young, owner of Docksiders, and his son Lucas, 9, a P4 student, participated with dad leading the way.

Reid told his son “Set a goal and if you make it, then I’ll shave with you. It was his thing and I didn’t want to take away from it.”

Dad said he thought it might add to his son’s experience by shaving his head too.

“He had been looking forward to doing this since last year. He started growing his hair in October so he had a mop. But he did real well and had about $6,500 (in donations).”

Reed said neither of them had any trepidation about going bald for cancer research.

“I ended up growing my hair and it was about the longest I’ve had in about 10 years so I was looking forward to it getting it cut off.”

Reed said an added benefit is this will always be a moment the two of them will cherish for the rest of their lives.

“This is going to be something he’ll remember and this will be something I’ll remember. Just to get up in front of the school and the other parents and be there with your son and contributing to such a worthwhile charity is something we’ll both remember.”

“This was a great bonding time for my son and I. My dad was at the head shaving as well.

 “The energy in that hall last Friday, watching those kids shave their heads and what they felt and what we're doing it for was awesome.

“I felt the energy in that hall and how excited everyone was to help and be a part of a bigger cause.”

He added that one of the things he is going to remember about the St Baldrick’s event is “the generosity of all our friends. I think about the kids with cancer and this touches a lot of hearts.”

Reed said while no one in his family has had cancer, they have had a lot of good friends stricken with the disease.

“We had a close friend of our son who was touched by cancer at a young age but seems to have come through it.”