Cheers, clippers and a lot of courage filled the cafeteria at Carl Sandburg High School on Monday as students and staff took part in the school’s annual St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event.
Now in its 17th year, the tradition has become a hallmark of the school community. Since 2009, Carl Sandburg High School has raised more than $354,000 to support childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
The event took place at the school, located at 13300 LaGrange Rd in Orland Park.
This year continued the momentum.
About 25 students and staff members volunteered to shave their heads during lunch periods, drawing crowds of classmates who gathered to watch, donate and cheer them on. The event, held in the bustling cafeteria, carried the energy of a pep rally, complete with emcees encouraging donations and celebrating each participant as they took a seat in the barber’s chair.
“We do this event in the cafeteria during the lunch hours so it is pretty exciting,” said Kelly Mendoza, a Spanish teacher and the school’s St. Baldrick’s sponsor. “We have emcees during the lunch hours who make it exciting and try to get students and staff to donate money during the event also.”
Professional barbers from Infinite Cuts Barbershop in Orland Park donated their time, carefully shaving each participant’s head as applause echoed through the room.
“We are thankful that Infinite Cuts Barbershop of Orland Park have generously donated their time to do all of the shaving today,” Mendoza said. “They were extremely professional and did an amazing job. They were the best.”
By the end of the day, the school had raised more than $11,000, with donations still being counted.
Among the participants was Zyad Mahdi, 17, of Orland Park, who emerged as the event’s top fundraiser, collecting $1,350.
“I love the ability to connect with my community and help reach a common goal to fight childhood cancer,” Mahdi said. “I participated this year because I believed I could use my platform and long hair to gain support and ultimately by raising money towards St. Baldrick’s.”
Many participants say the event is about something bigger than raising money. Shaving their heads is a way to show support for kids going through cancer treatment, especially those who lose their hair.
“What I love most about this event is seeing how brave and selfless our students and staff are when they shave their heads in solidarity with children going through cancer treatment,” Mendoza said. “It’s incredibly moving to watch our community come together for such an important cause.”
She added that the generosity and commitment of participants continues to stand out year after year, especially among staff members who return to the chair annually.
“We even have several staff members who have been shaving their heads for many years,” Mendoza said. “Mr. Dan Powers, Mr. Brian Hillhouse, and Mr. Stewart Bailey have selflessly participated year after year, and their continued commitment is amazing to see.”
