College Students Get Buzzed For Good In Nation's Capital
- Shaved heads raise more than $35,000 for childhood cancer research at Wahl Clipper and Kappa Sigma event -
STERLING, Ill., Oct. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 college students ascended on the National Mall in Washington D.C. today to get buzzed... for good. As the kickoff of a new national fundraising campaign titled GET BUZZED, Wahl Clipper, the leading manufacturer of hair clippers, challenged Kappa Sigma Fraternity and college students from more than four universities around the Nation's Capital to pick up a clipper and help raise money to support the St. Baldrick's Foundation and their fight against childhood cancers.
The four-hour head-shaving event saw students from George Washington University, Catholic University, George Mason University, Towson University and other schools getting on stage to give up their hair. The goal of the GET BUZZED campaign, which serves as a rally cry for a new generation to get involved in something they can believe in, is to raise more than $50,000 for childhood cancer research. This first event has already raised more than $35,000.
Photos of students "getting buzzed" at the event are posted on getbuzzed4good.com. Donations can also be made on the site.
The event began with a heart-felt speech from Danielle Leach, a local St. Baldrick's Foundation representative whose son Mason lost his battle with cancer in 2007. This was followed by an emotionally charged message of hope from Joseph Trotta, father of Ali, 10, who three years ago to the day was diagnosed with cancer. Ali, who underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in 2012, was in attendance as a St. Baldrick's Honored Kid, even performing the event's inaugural shave. Her donor, a member of the U.S. Air Force, also made a surprise visit to show his support.
In addition St. Baldrick's honoree Carolyn Coveney, 16, from Springfield, Va attended the event. Carolyn, who was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer when she was four years old, has persevered and is now a sophomore in high school and a member of the swim team and drama club.
"A child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes," said Heather Kash, senior director of corporate relations for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest private funder of pediatric cancer research grants. "Unfortunately, all types of childhood cancers combined only receive 4 percent of U.S. federal funding for research. That's what makes efforts such as GET BUZZED so worthwhile."
Additional GET BUZZED fundraising activities are taking place over the next month at universities across the country. On November 15, New York University's (NYU) Kappa Sigma chapter will host a GET BUZZED head-shaving event with several universities in the Greater New York City area coming together to support the cause. Photos from the Washington D.C. event, as well as those posted by GET BUZZED supporters across the country, can be found at getbuzzed4good.com.
Those interested in helping the cause can donate or spread the word by posting a photo via twitter, instagram or facebook using #getbuzzed4good. To learn more about the GET BUZZED campaign presented by Wahl and Kappa Sigma, visit getbuzzed4good.com. Or follow Wahl on Facebook and Twitter.
GET BUZZED supports "Cuts for a Cause", a program from Wahl Clipper to help raise funds for non-profit organizations through charitable head-shaving, haircutting and facial hair trimming events.
About Wahl Clipper
Since 1919, Wahl Clipper Corporation has been the leader in the professional and home grooming category. Today, Wahl manufactures a variety of facial hair trimmers and clippers, including the first-ever line to harness the power of lithium ion. For more information, visit www.wahlgrooming.com.
About Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma Fraternity is one of the largest college fraternities with 17,500 members on 314 college campus throughout the United States and Canada and more than 200,000 living alumni around the world. Annually, Kappa Sigma undergraduates donate more than $3 million and one million hours to charitable causes. For more information, www.kappasigma.org
About St. Baldrick's Foundation
The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. Since 2005, St. Baldrick's has awarded more than $152 million to support lifesaving research, making the Foundation the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. For more information, call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141018/152951
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SOURCE Wahl Clipper
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