More than 200 FGCU students, faculty and staff are expected to “brave the shave” and go bald Wednesday, Nov. 4 in support of childhood cancer research.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of St. Baldrick’s Day at FGCU. Those who volunteer to go under the razor help raise awareness of the plight of children dealing with cancer and raise money for research by generating pledges from friends and family. The shave-a-thon takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Veterans Pavilion.
Started in 2011 as part of a civic-engagement course, the event has raised nearly $40,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, an international organization devoted to finding a cure for cancer.
“Every 3 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer, and 1 out of every 5 diagnosed will not survive,” says event organizer and FGCU staff and adjunct faculty member Catherine Gorman. “It is incredible to see the FGCU and Southwest Florida communities come together to support such an important cause.”
Gorman, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at FGCU, spearheaded the launch of the campus event as an undergraduate and now works with students to organize the event each year.
This year, the “Bald Eagles” will have to work together even more than before to bring home a new title, she says. FGCU is competing with universities and colleges across the nation to raise the most funds in the inaugural “Battle of the Bald” College Tournament. As of Oct. 27, FGCU ranked 11th in the competition, which runs through Nov. 30.
“We may be known as Dunk City,” Gorman says, “but this is a new way to show what an outstanding institution FGCU really is. We are grateful for the brave students and faculty and our community partners, including Zervos Salon and Jimmy John’s.”
The following faculty and staff members have signed on to have their heads shaved at St. Baldrick’s Day:
- Dr. billY Gunnels, Director, Undergraduate Scholarship
- Dr. Kristoph Kinzli, Associate Professor, U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering
- Dr. Sean Kelly, Interim Dean, Office of Undergraduate Studies
- Dr. Michael Cole, Assistant Professor, Department of History
- Dr. Eric Otto, Director, General Education
- Dr. Clay Motley, Director, Honors Program
- Matthew Neubek, Instructor, Department of Mathematics
- Chuck Bryan, Server Specialist, Library Computing and Technology Systems
- Brian Boveington, Athletic Academic Coordinator
- Bruce Banko, Athletic Media Coordinator
- Dr. Tim Allen, Eminent Scholar, Alico Chair in Finance, Lutgert College of Business
- Ian Campbell, Instructor, Department of Chemistry and Physics
- Jeremy Boreland, Director, Athletics Advancement Corporate Sales
Pledges for individuals and teams can be made online.
For more information, contact Catherine Gorman at (239) 745-4363 or [email protected].