VGCC to host St. Baldrick’s cancer research fundraiser


The South Campus of Vance-Granville Community College will be the site of an event to raise funds for children’s cancer research. A St. Baldrick’s “Head-Shaving” event is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the campus, which is located on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.

The event benefits the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to raising money for life-saving childhood cancer research and funds more in childhood cancer grants than any organization except for the U.S. government.

St. Baldrick’s frequently holds such head-shaving events at all sorts of venues across the country. “It works like a walk-a-thon, except instead of people donating money for someone to walk, they donate to sponsor someone else who will have his or her head shaved at the event,” explained Tracy Wallace, who heads VGCC’s Human Services Technology program and is the lead organizer for this event.

Last year, St. Baldrick’s raised more than $38 million by shaving 57,915 heads at 1,325 events.

“St. Baldrick’s Foundation shaves heads in order to stand in solidarity with kids with cancer, who often lose their hair during treatment,” Wallace said. “The event promises to be fun but also meaningful, because it’s for a crucially important cause. We invite the entire community to get involved in order to give hope to infants, children, teens and young adults fighting cancer.”

Licensed VGCC Cosmetology instructors and licensed Cosmetology program graduates will be performing the shavings. Children with cancer, or who have had cancer, are also allowed to shave with supervision if the person being shaved (called the “shavee”) requests it at the event. Individuals can also donate without sponsoring a shave and can donate in the name of a child.

Anyone interested in donating, volunteering or registering as a “shavee” is encouraged to visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/VGCC. The site provides instructions for how to get involved.

For more information, contact Tracy Wallace at (252) 738-3519 or wallacet@vgcc.edu.