INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — There are few more compelling images than those of children battling cancer, who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatments.
Their bald little heads reflect a heartbreaking struggle which is often at odds with their sweet grins – outwardly filled with optimism.
Almost 13 years ago, in an effort to raise awareness and money for pediatric cancer research, three New York friends blended baldness with St. Patrick’s Day, challenging each other to a St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event on March 17, 2000.
The goal was to raise “$17,000 on the 17th” with individuals who would become “walking billboards for the cause.”
Far exceeding their goal, the 20 “shavee” recruits raised approximately $104,000 and summarily launched a worldwide initiative.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation has raised more than $146 million, and has united men, women and children in solidarity with pediatric cancer patients.
Today, it is the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research.
Retired Summerplace resident Frank Mannino, an eight-time “shavee,” recently teamed up with hairdresser Missy Elward, a three-time “shaver” to bring St. Baldrick’s to Indian River County.
The dynamic duo hope to raise $100,000 through two signature head-shaving fundraisers – the main event commencing at Noon on Saturday, March 2 at Capt. Hiram’s in Sebastian and a splinter event beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 3 at Dockside Restaurant in Vero Beach.
To promote the events, Mannino and Elward made presentations at local government meetings and when they went to the City of Sebastian, both Mayor Bob McPartlan and City Councilman Jim Hill committed to shave their heads for the occasion.
“You can put me down,” McPartlan told Mannino and Elward at the end of their presentation.
“You can put me on there – beautiful as it is,” Hill echoed, referring to his own head of hair.
Mannino said he was enthusiastic about bringing St. Baldrick’s cause to Indian River County.
“We don’t have a cancer treatment center for children here; kids have to go out of the area. But most of the money will go to the places in Florida where people send their children.
There are several research centers in Florida,” Mannino said.
According to its website, St. Baldrick’s issues 82 percent of fund-raising efforts to cancer research facilities, two percent to management and 16 percent to fundraising.
“But what we’re doing in this county is all volunteer driven; everything is donated. All the money goes to the children,” stresses Mannino. “We’re pretty excited about bringing the event here. Of all the funds supplied by the U.S. government for cancer research, very little – only four percent – is earmarked for pediatric cancer. That’s one of the reason’s St. Baldrick’s is dedicated only to pediatric research.”
A Long Island transplant, Mannino was recruited for the cause by a former parish priest.
“I went to a Catholic high school where you were supposed to have short hair,” explains Mannino. “It was in the 60s and I was bit of a rebel and didn’t want to cut my hair. He phoned me and said, ‘You never cut your hair all the times I asked you in high school. Would you cut your hair now for cancer research?’ How do you turn that down?”
That year, and each of the ensuing six years, he flew to New York to shave his head; wife Marianne had her locks shorn one year as well. Then, last year, he and his Ft. Lauderdale-based son were shaved together, raising more than $10,000 at an event in Boynton Beach.
“After that first experience there was no turning back,” says Mannino. “It’s just an incredible feeling.”
Elward is a hairdresser at Panache Salon and Day Spa in Miracle Mile, and a personal trainer at both Sebastian Gym and Elite Physique in Vero.
The past three years she and husband Dan, a Brevard County firefighter, have participated in a Brevard St. Baldrick’s event – he as a shavee and she as a shaver.
“I did a boot camp fundraiser at the gym and that’s how I met Frank. He saw that I was doing St. Baldrick’s in Brevard and asked if I would like to cochair in our county. I said absolutely!”
“We like to put teams together; people come up on stage and that’s where we shave their heads,” says Mannino, noting they encourage friendly team competitions between government officials, police and fire departments, restaurants, businesses, etc.
“We like to bring the teams up together to cheer them on,” he adds. “It’s unique; what we find is that it’s a festive event that lends itself to a lot of fun. The entire family comes out to watch their friends and relatives shave their heads.”
Teams can register online at the www.stbaldricks.org website and are given their own personal websites to forward to friends and family.
“I forward it to every human being that I know asking for contributions,” says Mannino, who has set a personal goal of $15,000 for his team. “Friends have been wonderful and very receptive.”
Elward was one of the models at last year’s successful Indian River Fire Girls Fashion Show and Dinner to benefit the Pink 4 Life Mammogram Assistance Program, and she has enlisted the support of the Fire Girls for St. Baldrick’s.
“They’re bringing the Big Pink Fire Truck,” says Elward. “They’re escorting some of our honored kids to the event.”
Two Vero Beach youngsters battling cancer will be honored as VIPs at the events.
Twelve-year-old Quinton Martin attended Highlands Elementary as an honor society student prior to a July diagnosis of a rare bone & muscle cancer, Rhabdomyosarcoma.
Although registered at Oslo Middle School he is currently home schooled while undergoing highly aggressive chemotherapy treatments.
Five-year-old Wyatt Cornell, who will attend Highlands Elementary School next year, has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The Cornell family hopes to make the event a family affair, with Wyatt, his two older brothers and his father Justin shaving their heads together – and maybe even his mother Tessa.
Tessa Cornell told Mannino, “For me it’s just hair. If Justin can live with me I’ll shave it.”
“I did a mother and her seven-year-old daughter last year,” says Elward. “They were sitting on stage holding hands. The daughter had told her mother she wanted to shave her head. The mother said to her, ‘If you can do it I can do it.’ That little girl knew exactly why she was doing it; she knew the purpose of the fundraiser. We did 300 heads in Brevard County last year; it was amazing. It’s just one of those events you feel compelled to do because it involves children. I have small children myself. It just tugs at your heartstrings.”
“It’s my hope to have more school children involved,” says Mannino. “Missy has spoken with a mother with a Boy Scout troop who appeared interested. I’ve seen high school girls doing it; you think about high school girls being bald – wow.”
Statistics show that worldwide a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes; one in five children diagnosed in the U.S. will not survive.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, and the way to do it is through research,” stresses Mannino. “One of our mottos is Conquer Kids Cancer. It’s our hope that everybody will know about it here next year. We’re really looking for a bunch of heroes to be brave and shave.”
For more information, contact Mannino at 633-4452 or visit www.stbaldricks.org.