The 13th annual St. Baldrick’s Day event at Matt Denny’s restaurant in Arcadia last night drew an overflow crowd of supporters and friends, once again for a great cause. Since its inception, the national evening has raised over $500,000 for childhood cancer research at Matt Denny’s alone. Since 2002, more than 1000 heads—men, women, boys and girls— have been shaved in solidarity with young cancer patients who lose their hair through chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.
“We want to show kids who don’t have a choice in losing their hair, that we are standing with them,†said Traci Shirk, media manager for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation office in Monrovia. “Many people don’t really understand childhood cancers, and this is a way to start that conversation,†she added.
Each participant raised funds individually through family and friends, to donate to the event.
Midway through the evening last night, the event had raised over $60,000, according to Shirk, putting them on track to best last year’s achievement of $63,000.
As an added treat, supporter Jeff Reas was “knighted†by three young City of Hope cancer patients, for having participated in seven consecutive St. Baldrick’s events.
