By Laura Mazur

Community Post
Area volunteers gave up their hair and gave into a good cause last Wednesday night as they supported the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. To raise funds, volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, after requesting donations of support from friends and family.
“I thought it would be a cool thing to do. When my cousin Bridget was two months old, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Now she's 2 years old and I'm doing it for her,” said Grant Garmann, 13, of Maria Stein.
Garmann was one of 23 people to get shorn last week at Chickasaw Community Mutual Fire Company, which hosted facilities for the event. Teams, as well as individuals took part to raise dollars and “shave the way to conquer kids' cancer,” as the foundation's slogan rightly states.
“Grant heard about it in religion class. For a good cause, we thought we'd jump in and do it,” said Riley Homan, 13, who teamed with Garmann and others to raise funds.
This is the sixth year for the fundraiser locally, having been started by Audrey Subler as a way to help fight childhood cancer after her daughter, Kristen, was diagnosed with cancer in 2000. Her husband, Dan, was a member of the Chickasaw fire department at the time, saw the foundation online and the family decided to host their own drive in the community.
Subler said each year she has found another child in the community to honor by hosting the fundraiser.
“Cancer has affected somebody they know and most of the firemen know my daughter,” said Subler on why local people enjoy supporting the cause.
The guest of honor for the evening's event was 12 year old Kirsten Schlarman, who was diagnosed a year and a half ago with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
“It helps kids with cancer. It makes me feel good that people are willing to shave their heads,” said Schlarman through a medical mask. She is the daughter of Jerry and Amy Schlarman, of New Weston.
Just in the six years that the Chickasaw fire department has provided facilities for the local support of the cause, more than $24,000 has been raised. This year the community raised approximately $5,200.
“There's not too much work we have to do. Audrey does it all. We just furnish the facilities for it,” said Fire Chief Mark Seitz. “It's just a great cause. Cancer has been around the area for a long time. All people want to do is help others battle cancer.”
The foundation started in 1999 when Tim Kenny challenged friends John Bender and Enda McDonnell to find a way to give back to society. These three reinsurance executives turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer.
Bender suggested shaving McDonnell's head since kids typically lose their hair during cancer treatment. McDonnell said he would if Bender would. The three planned to raise Instead, the first St. Baldrick's event, held on March 17, 2000, raised more than $104,000.
In 2007, St. Baldrick's events were hosted in 46 U.S. states, in addition to Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Since the first event in 2000, St. Baldrick's volunteers have raised more than $34 million for research.

For more information on St. Baldrick's or to make a donation, log onto www.stbaldricks.org.