On Sunday, April 13, in the Student Center, a crowd cheered as six students shaved their heads to benefit a cause that hits close to home for many: childhood cancer. This year, the annual St. Baldrick’s event, raised $2,711 (and counting) to support pediatric cancer research.
Organized by club co-heads Liam Morvillo ’25 and Eli Albert ’26, this was the fourth year the school has participated in the worldwide fundraising effort led by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The event invites volunteers, known as “shavees,” to raise donations by pledging to shave their heads in solidarity with children who lose their hair during cancer treatments.
Every two minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer, making it the leading cause of death by disease for children in the U.S. Yet pediatric cancer receives only a fraction of the research funding given to adult cancers. “One in three children diagnosed with cancer won’t survive more than five years,” said Morvillo. “We need to do better.”
Morvillo’s involvement in St. Baldrick’s began long before he arrived in Lakeville. “When I was in second grade, a girl just one year older than me was diagnosed with cancer,” he said. “She passed away not long after, and it left a mark on me. I realised how unfair it is that a child should have to face something so serious with so few options. After that, I knew I wanted to help.”
The fundraiser continues year- round, and the club hopes to increase both donations and participation moving forward. Albert said, “Hair grows back. You don’t have to shave your head every year, but giving it a try even once shows kids out there that we care. That’s worth everything.”
Among the volunteers this year were returner Emerson Murdoch ’27 and Alex Jiao ’27, a first-time shavee. “I’d never done anything like this before Hotchkkiss,” Murdoch said. “Last year, I did it because my grandmother fought cancer. She battled it with strength and dignity—I never want to see others, especially people younger than me, go through that without proper care or treatment. And honestly? I kind of like how I look bald today!”
For Jiao, the most memorable part of the day wasn’t the haircut; it was the atmosphere. He said, “Everyone came together to cheer us on and support the cause.”
