From my home town paper

• From my home town paper by hasting316 on 13 Nov, 2009 22:45
• Baldrick is beautiful at AHS
  
  Students at Alton High School had a "hairy" lunch hour Friday, with some literally giving up the hair on their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research.
  
  "I'm going to save a lot of money on shampoo," joked junior Jordan Pfeifer, 16, rubbing his now-bald head after the public shaving in the AHS cafeteria-commons.
  
  "It's different," he decided about his new, hairless "'do."
  
  It was the second year in a row that Interact Club, a student group affiliated with Rotary International, held the shave-a-thon fund-raiser for St. Baldrick's Foundation.
  
  As with last year's effort, everyone getting a head shave was male.
  
  The more hair that the participants were losing, the more "oohs," "ahs" and cheers they elicited from their fellow students.
  
  Long chunks of straight hair and big clumps of curls - such as from junior Eric York - fell to the floor as the shavers buzzed.
  
  York, who admitted it took him "a couple years" to grow his long, dark, thick curls, said he didn't mind losing them for the St. Baldrick's cause.
  
  "I thought it would be a good thing to raise money for a good cause," he said.
  
  As did Pfeifer, York rubbed his newly bald head to feel the difference.
  
  Teacher Cami Giertz, sponsor of the club, said 15 students, four faculty members and two administrators - including Alton School District Superintendent David Elson - signed up for the free shaves, and also solicited donations.
  
  Last year, six staff members and five students stepped up to the shavers and raised about $2,000, doubling their initial goal.
  
  "Our goal was $2,000; we've already collected $2,000, so we've met our goal," Giertz said about this year's effort. "Students are soliciting donations through Monday for the effort, in person and online" at http://www.stbaldricks.org.
  
  Giertz said the club would not know exactly how much it raised until next week.
  
  She praised two AHS students for their independent efforts to raise several hundred dollars for St. Baldrick's. Interact Club President Alex Schenk held a dress-down day at St. Ambrose School in Godfrey, raising $410; Blake Novak held a "personal run" at North Elementary School's track and drummed up more than $350 from sponsors from his father's company, she said.
  
  WBGZ radio reporter Doug Jenkins, who has sported a long ponytail for years, got one of the first drastic head-shavings.
  
  Jenna Quigley, a stylist from Rumours hair salon in Godfrey, said she enjoys volunteering for the effort.
  
  "I think it's great," she said. "I think it's a great cause that kids are stepping up to help."
  
  There is no "St. Baldrick," but the first event took place on St. Patrick's Day 2000, so the name was a blend of the holiday and "bald."
  
  Organizers said the resulting name was a way to show solidarity with young cancer patients who lose their hair from chemotherapy. "Green" is a tie-in with St. Patrick's Day.
  
  The St. Baldrick's Web site says the organization gave $41,719,799 in grants from 2005 to 2009. This year alone, it has raised $16,483,722, with 33,431 "shavees" losing their hair for the effort.
  
  
  
• #1 by Timmay on 13 Nov, 2009 22:48
• AWESOME!
  
• #2 by Tyler on 13 Nov, 2009 23:24
• Very cool!
• #3 by Mikekoz13 on 14 Nov, 2009 09:18
• Kids that get it......... Awesome!
• #4 by tomgallagher on 14 Nov, 2009 09:50
• Makes me proud.
• #5 by jrppsuobx on 14 Nov, 2009 11:03
• Grat to Hear another Great Kid story!!! Our Kids are often painted in the media at not focused and lazy. But I work with kids all day long and I see  our kids doing great things inspite of the the situations they may be in!!
  
  Thanks for sharing this in the forum!
• #6 by wpruitt on 16 Nov, 2009 16:54
• Great story.  There are still some good kids left (damn, do I sound old or what?).