Over $500K Raised for Childhood Cancer Research By Commack Students

The bad news: More children are lost to cancer in the U.S. than any other disease, and worldwide, a child is diagnosed every three minutes.

The good news: Because of research, today about 90% of children with the most common types of cancer will live.

Event organizers Dan Revera and Bill Scaduto, with Bill’s son Jack.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation works to fund research and provide support for children and families. According to their website, “Childhood cancer differs from adult cancers, and the treatment is much different, as well. In addition to finding cures, a lot of research is focused on preventing the lifelong damage that results from surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapies given while young bodies and brains are just developing.”

Julia Slippen, before. Stylist is Commack graduate Nicole Abbate,

Commack High School’s annual head-shaving event is just one of the ways we work together to make a difference in the lives of others. This year, $75,000 was donated, with pledges still coming in. Since Commack’s first head-shaving event in 2010, over $530,000 was donated to St. Baldrick’s, and 1,725 heads were shaved through the efforts of more than 600 volunteers.

The volunteer barbers and hairdressers also cut hair for donations to Locks of Love. Ten people donated ten inches or more of their long hair to make wigs for people who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatments.

Of special note, student Max Schweitzer collected over $4,600 for St. Baldrick’s, Jake Kirschbaum collected over $3,600, and senior Chris Walsh collected over $3,200 (his lifetime total is over $22,000). The Burr Team of 31 students united to collect over $16,200.

Although most shavees are male, one brave young lady, Julia Slippen, a fifth grader, shaved off her lovely curly hair, and raised over $1,000. Her mom Carolyn said, “Julia began talking about St. Baldrick’s last year when she saw posters in her school. She thought that there were a lot of kids suffering and she thought that she could help those kids.”

Julia Slippen,after. Stylist is Commack graduate Nicole Abbate, who volunteers every year.

Another female shavee was Huntington Councilwoman Tracey A. Edwards. “I have decided to support the St. Baldrick’s foundation in solidarity with the many people in Huntington who have raised over $115,000.00 so far this year. The volunteers and participants are to be commended; they work so hard to make each event a success. The lasting impression of the participant’s bald heads keeps the awareness alive with the hope that they will find new cures and treatments for childhood cancer to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors. Commack organizers See picture below-Lee Tunick, Bill Scaduto, and Dan Revera were honored by Councilwoman Edwards at the Huntington Town Board meeting on March 8, 2016.

If you would like to donate, please go to: https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/4465/2016