Seven years ago, married chiropractors Mike and Melissa McCue helped organize their first St. Baldrick’s Day event.
Now, Mike McCue and four other participants have continued the tradition of shaving their heads to raise money for children’s cancer research.
At this year’s St. Baldrick’s Day event, scheduled for Saturday, March 15 at Amalfi’s on Lawrenceville-Pennington Road, Lawrence residents McCue, Mario Mangone, Dan Collins, Clifton Perry and Keith Kemo will be recognized as “Knights of the Bald Table” because of their participation for the seventh year.
St. Baldrick’s Day events are held around the world, and in 2013 raised more than $34 million for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Just in Lawrence, the 2013 event raised $144,000 from 174 shavees.
And while the goal to support cancer research is always the same, many participants get involved because of a personal experience.
When Kemo found himself driving to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia seven years ago for his daughter’s appointment—she was having unexplained back pain—cancer wasn’t even on his mind. At least, not until he got out of the car.
“We were walking through, and I noticed these cars going into parking spots,” Kemo said. “Moms were getting out and opening the trunks, getting these little wheelchairs out and putting kids in them.”
The kids, he realized, were bald and were there for cancer treatments.
The image stuck with Kemo, so when McCue asked him to participate in the inaugural St. Baldrick’s event, Kemo agreed. His daughter’s back issue was eventually resolved, and Kemo said with a happy, healthy family, he found it was an excellent way to show support for those fighting for their health.
Mangone stressed that any donation, no matter how small, goes toward a worthy cause.
“The contributions that are made are wonderful, whatever it is,” he said. “If it’s a dollar from somebody, it’s much appreciated.”
Perry, who first moved to Lawrence 10 years ago, had never heard of St. Baldrick’s but had been involved with Locks for Love and other cancer research endeavors. When a friend suggested he try out the new local event a few years later, the Princeton University athletic department employee spiced things up by having a different team spray paint his hair before each shave.
He’s participated every year since, and commended the McCues on the work they do to put on the event.
“Mike and Melissa have just done a great job of keeping it family oriented,” Perry said, “and it’s a lot of kids there, which is really cool to me, to see all the kids do it.”
The McCues first brought the event to the area after becoming inspired by the charity and unique way it raises money. That year, the McCues co-organized the event with another chairperson at the Ivy Inn in Princeton. The next year—and ever since—the McCues took over the event and brought it to Lawrence.
Mike McCue hoped to break last year’s fundraising and participation numbers, and as of press time that seemed promising. This year, McCue noted, every one of the Lawrence public schools was participating, and the event has been gaining popularity each year.
St. Baldrick’s Day is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 15 at Amalfi’s, located at 146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Road. On the Web: stbaldricks.org.
–Lexie Yearly
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