Shaving heads, raising money

More than 80 men and women shaved their heads for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation June 30 at Donnelly Park on Ramstein.

The third annual “Shave your head for childhood cancer” event generated more than $18,000 in donations, surpassing last year’s total of $12,000.

According to their website, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is committed to funding promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

“I was ecstatic about the support I received from all over the Kaiserslautern Military Community,” said Master Sgt. Timothy Beardsley, 86th Maintenance Squadron and event planner. “From active-duty Air Force to civilians, contrac

tors, dependents and active-duty Army, everyone came out to support us.”

For Beardsley, it’s more than a three-hour event.

“On June 26, 2008, my daughter, Josie, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” Beardsley said. “At the time she was 19 months old, but is now 5 and like any other little girl. After two years and four months of intense chemotherapy, she is cancer free.”

Josie’s oncologist was the one who encouraged Beardsley to participate in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in 2009.

Men weren’t the only ones to shave their heads for St. Baldrick’s. Jamie Price, wife of Staff Sgt. Clifton Price, 86th MXS aerospace ground equipment craftsman, decided to shave her head in support of a 5-year-old girl, Lola, from Utah.

“I chose to donate to St. Baldrick’s because they help children,” Price said. “I wanted to give children a chance to live a long life.”

Price’s stepfather and grandmother both died of cancer.

“That’s who I was thinking about while they were cutting my hair,” she said. “I was thinking about my stepdad, grandma and Lola and all the hardships they had to go through.”

Price said she reached her goal, and some, the night prior to the event.

“My goal was to raise $500 for St. Baldrick’s and when I checked earlier I was at $510,” she said.

The support received from the KMC meant a lot to the Beardsley’s and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

“Having so much support was great, and St. Baldrick’s is our family’s way of giving back to the community of doctors and researchers that saved Josie’s life,” Beardsley said. “Those dedicated professionals need the backing of great foundations like St. Baldrick’s because fighting cancer is not cheap and it takes all of us to help bring the fight closer to finding better, less invasive treatments with less side-effects and eventually, hopefully, a cure.”