Head-shaving fundraiser for pediatric cancer research set

St. Baldrick's and Team Teddy will stage their fourth annual head-shaving fundraiser for pediatric-cancer research at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, at Osborn Hill Elementary School, 760 Stillson Road.

The team was formed in memory of Teddy Gerber, a Fairfield resident who died at 9 years old in August 2010 from undifferentiated sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer, according to a website created by his parents.

All of the money raised by the Osborn Hill event, which has raised more than $150,000 over the past two years, will go to St. Baldrick's, the website states.

St. Baldrick's is a Monrovia, Calif.-based foundation that has fundraisers -- including head-shaving events -- to raise money for childhood cancer research.

It is run by volunteers and has awarded $103 million in grants since 2005 -- more than $25 million in 2012 alone, according to its website.

St. Baldrick's volunteers conceived the idea of shaving heads to raise money in July 1999 and had its first head-shaving fundraiser at a corporate St. Patrick's Day party in 2001 at a Manhattan pub.

Their goal of "shaving 17 heads to collect $17,000 turned into 19 bald heads raising $104,000, all of which was donated for cancer research at the Children's Oncology Group," the website states.

Jessica Gerber, Teddy's mother, nominated Kristin Golia, Teddy's third-grade teacher at Osborn Hill, for the Top Teacher Award sponsored by syndicated talk show "Live! with Kelly" for helping him during his cancer treatment.

The Osborn Hill event will include a bake sale, face painting, raffle baskets and other activities. Food will be provided by Fairfield's Super Duper Weenie.

For more information, call 888-899-2253 or email smithteam@optonline.net.