The Bald and the Beautiful, an annual fundraiser on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, will take place April 17-19 (Wednesday-Friday).
Started in 2008 after freshman Sam Marx lost his battle with cancer, the yearly event is organized by students to fight pediatric cancer locally and nationally. Since its beginning, the effort has raised more than $150,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and for Memorial Hospital of South Bend, and more than 400 hair donations have been made to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to participate in The Bald and the Beautiful, which will take place in the Sorin-Dooley Room in the LaFortune Student Center from 4 to 10 p.m. April 17 and 18 and 4 to 8 p.m. April 19. Participants have three options to contribute:
- Donating hair — at least 8 inches and not dyed — to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which is a partnership between Pantene and the American Cancer Society to turn donations into wigs for cancer patients.
- Head shaving to benefit St. Baldrick’s Foundation, an organization that helps fund pediatric cancer research.
- Purchasing colored hair extensions to benefit Memorial Hospital, $10 each or three for $25.
Hair donation and shaving both require registration, which can be done online.
As part of the event, Notre Dame football team members are shaving their heads and visiting with Memorial Hospital families at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The Bald and the Beautiful is the largest student-run philanthropic event on campus with more than 40 student volunteers and 1,600 participants. Sponsors include Duncan, Pangborn, Badin and St. Edward’s Halls; the Harper Cancer Research Institute; the Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine; Sportclips; and the Notre Dame College of Science. Catering will be provided by local restaurants Fiddler’s Hearth, Le Peep and Sunny Italy.
To learn more and to donate, visit nd.edu/~tbab.