Archbishop Ryan students, faculty go bald for childhood cancer research

A group of faculty and students at Archbishop Ryan High School might be feeling a chill these days after opting to shave their heads for St. Baldrick’s Day.

The broke out the razors for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds childhood cancer research projects.

“Team Ryan” faculty has raised more than $50,000 for the foundation over the last three years, and this year, four students joined the action.

Team Ryan before the St. Baldrick's shave. Photo courtesy of Archbishop Ryan High School
(Team Ryan before the St. Baldrick's shave. Photo courtesy of Archbishop Ryan High School)

“We have a long tradition of being charitable at Ryan and this is a great example of just that,” President Mike McArdle said. “I have heard stories about students slipping change and dollar bills into the lockers of the participating students, and when the shavees opened the lockers, the money literally fell out and onto the floor.”

The movement started with three reinsurance executives in 2000 who wanted to find a more charitable way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. More than 189,660 volunteers have participated to date.

John Farrington led Team Ryan. “When we started St. Baldrick’s at Ryan, I never thought that we would receive this type of response,” he said. “To have raised over $50,000 in the past three years is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal