The fight against one of the largest killers of children in the United States is what brought us together to raise money, awareness and a pint for the kids who have been lost, and hope for all those still in the battle. St. Baldrick's is the brilliant foundation that started it all, 10 countries and 42 American states later; not counting this year, it has raised more than $20 million and chromed more than 26,000 domes.
In 2000 a group of East Coast guys at a bar honored a dare coupled with a donation to shave their heads; it blossomed into one of the fastest-growing fund-raising efforts of its kind. A portion of the money goes to a leading childhood cancer research organization, Children's Oncology Group, as well as funding to fellowships and several other grants to local institutions. McMullan's raised more than $100,000, and the donations are still coming in. (A special thanks to LVW parent company Greenspun Media Group, and all my buds who contributed $1,700 to lose the locks, and for laughing at my ugly head after the fact.)
The pub's namesake, owner and overall remarkable man Brian McMullan, is how the cause landed in Las Vegas for the first time. Having lost his first daughter to the disease, he was given the idea from a nurse, finding inspiration through the haze of a decade of mourning.
"You never really get past it," a bald Brian said. "You do all you can, and it's not enough. You feel helpless when it happens. St. Baldrick's was something that we felt would actually help, and I think it did. It was a beautiful thing to see." I was fortunate enough to be shaved with Brian's brave 9-year-old daughter, Branagh, who struggled with the choice, as any 9-year-old girl would. "My sister would have done it for me," she said, now confident with the haircut. Brian looked on with tears in his eyes. All night long, our laughter alternated with our tears.
Brian's wife, Lynn, and his son Ross also volunteered their hair. A remarkable number of women made the sacrifice, several making a double donation, giving their long hair to Locks of Love.
A head shaved in solidarity with those undergoing chemotherapy goes beyond the physical connection—it is a fantastic conversation-starter.
"Justin, did you get drunk and shave your head?" "Yup, for cancer." Suddenly an uncomfortable topic is approachable, even though I might not be, with the fierce shine off my noggin.
You can still make donations at
www.stbaldricks.org.
Justin Jimenez firmly believes we should draft beer, not people. And he always sees better through the bottom of an empty glass. The associate editor for Las Vegas Magazine, he can be reached at
[email protected].