Category | News

Losing hair to find the cure

Published on March 25, 2008 by The Sentinel

    Rogaine for men might be shocked to learn that the
fine young men and women of KSU are losing their hair – on purpose.

    On Mar. 15, four fraternities and three sororities
banded together for the first Greeks Go Bald event at Barnacles
restaurant. Delta Tau Delta, Delta Chi, Kappa Sigma, Theta Chi, Phi Mu,
Delta Phi Epsilon and Gamma Phi Beta were joined by Star 94 F.M.
morning show host, Super Phat Mikey, approximately 150 supporters and
the band, Derailed. Collectively they raised more than $10,000 to help
fund an organization called St. Baldrick’s by shaving their heads.

    St. Baldrick’s is a non-profit organization whose
primary function is to raise money to fund grants and fellowships for
children’s cancer research.

    Sixty people who supported the cause, both male and
female, got to experience first-hand what cancer-stricken children go
through as they watched their hair fall to the ground.

    Organized by Delta Tau Delta, and spearheaded by its
Director of philanthropy and new member educator, Brad Summey, the
event was a first. Summey, who is also a freshman marketing major, put
together the “Greeks Go Bald” event at KSU after having worked with St.
Baldrick’s during a four year career with the Dekalb County Fire
Department and Rescue.

    “I decided that this would be an amazing way to
bring the entire Greek community at Kennesaw together for a great
cause,” Sommers said. “I wanted to really show the public that
Fraternities and Sororities do a lot more for the community than just
partying and hanging out.”

    Five-year-olds Mary Grace Dixon and Patrick Chance –
both cancer survivors and recipients of St. Baldrick’s funding - were
honored at the event.  The sororities put together gift baskets
for the children, and Delta Tau Delta made Chance an honorary member of
the fraternity.  Derailed donated signed pictures and gave gifts
from the band to the children.

    Families of children like Chance and Dixon may have
the opportunity to benefit from proceeds of the event for years to come
as Summey plans to make the event an annual affair. “I would encourage
anyone that isn’t already plugged in to the community in some way or on
campus to look into one of the many fraternities or sororities on
campus as they do more for the community than anyone would ever know,”
Summey said.

    Details and photos of the Greeks Go Bald event are on its Website (greeksgobald.com ).