INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Members of the Board of Indian River County Commissioners and the administration have signed up to get their heads shaved to benefit children’s cancer research.
For the second time, St. Baldrick’s Foundation will hold a shave-a-thon in Indian River County with the hope of shaving 300 heads and raising $200,000.
Last year, the all-volunteer organization shaved 150 heads and raised $106,000. According to organizer Frank “Cookie” Mannino, 98 percent of the organization’s funds go straight to childhood cancer research.
Already, Commissioner Joe Flescher has registered to be a shavee for the March 1 shave-a-thon, leading Team Indian River County. Commission Chair Peter O’Bryan and Commissioner Bob Solari are also expected to sign on to go bald.
“You have such a gorgeous head of hair, we’d love to take it off for a couple months,” Mannino said, addressing Commissioner Tim Zorc, who has expressed a reluctance to getting shaved.
Commissioner Wesley Davis, who served as an auctioneer of his fellow board members’ heads last year, is performing in this year’s Dancing with Vero’s Stars, and has similarly expressed reluctance to having a date with a razor.
County Administrator Joe Baird said during the County Commission meeting that he would be signing up to participate and County Attorney Dylan Reingold, who is already bald, was volunteered as a shavee.
Indian River County organizers for the St. Baldrick’s event are expected to visit other local governments seeking participants.
Last year, the Sebastian City Council participated, including Mayor Bob McPartlan and council members Jim Hill and Andrea Coy.
Members of the Sebastian and Vero Beach police departments and those from Indian River Shores Public Safety also participated.
This year, County Commissioners are inviting the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office to also get involved.
The shave-a-thon will be held March 1 for most the day at Capt. Hiram’s in Sebastian. A silent auction will also be held at Capt. Hiram’s in advance of the main event – on Feb. 22.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, founded in California, strives to raise funds for childhood cancer research because a child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes worldwide.
Of those children, one in five in the U.S. will not survive, according to the organization’s website. Four percent of federal cancer research funding goes to pediatric cancer research.
Anyone interested in participating in the shave-a-thon or otherwise donating to the cause can find more information at www.StBaldricks.org/events/indianriver2014.