For the fourth year in a row, members of the community will soon be gathering at Ace’s Wild in Columbia as folks have their heads shaved for the sake of childhood cancer research.

The event taking place this Saturday is for the benefit of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest charity organization focused on funding research on childhood cancer.

Daniel Woelfel, one of the organizers for this weekend’s fundraiser who started his support well before it moved to Columbia, spoke about how the event has developed and what it means for him and the kids it benefits.

As he described, Woelfel’s story with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation began 21 years ago.

His very good friends David and Debbie Wittman had just lost their son Markie to neuroblastoma, and they directed him to Helen Fitzgerald’s in St. Louis County, where a modest fundraiser to support childhood cancer research was set to take place.

“Dave and Deb kind of pointed me in the direction of St. Baldrick’s,” Woelfel said. “They said there’s very little funding that comes from some of the major cancer research organizations. They’re all primarily focused toward adult-onset cancers, which I didn’t know… They asked if I would shave my head in solidarity for Mark, and the rest is history.”

As Woelfel explained, the event continued in St. Louis for many years until the COVID-19 pandemic began. In 2021, the event moved to Ace’s Wild in Columbia and, as he said, has been “a local mainstay” since.

He noted how the community has truly rallied around the cause, from the hosting business to the event’s many other sponsors. Woelfel also mentioned support from students at Columbia Middle School and Columbia High School, saying this event has only grown each year.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation itself started in the mid-2000s and, as Woelfel described, has grown into a nationwide – and increasingly global – charity.

In Columbia, the fundraiser is centered around the Ace’s Wild event, though Woelfel said preparations begin nearly a year prior in June as past participants are contacted to see if they would once again shave their heads for the cause.

Shavees old and new then grow their hair out in the months leading up to the event, with folks donating in support of them on the event’s page as part of the St. Baldrick’s website.

Participants also join a particular team – adding to the mild competitiveness as Woelfel pointed out. The main team which most shavees join is the Snow Angels.

The past three events have raised a total of $165,000, per the website. As of Tuesday evening, this year’s fundraiser has accrued nearly $30,000 of its $50,000 goal for 2024. 

Regarding the event itself, the day begins at 10 a.m. with a Bloody Mary Bar. Starting then, attendees can also check out a collection of auction baskets – Woelfel voiced his appreciation for Nancy Long and the other individuals who help fill the baskets with televisions, beach vacations and other impressive items.

The main event starts at noon, with locals getting their heads shaved through the afternoon. The event also features musical entertainment, with a live performance this year by Fresh Burn from 4-7 p.m.

Food is made available by the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department.

Woelfel said the overall tone of the event is intended to be positive, as attendees celebrate the support for cancer research as well as the successful battles against childhood cancer.

He noted, however, that the mood can change at times as folks speak about the losses they’ve experienced, and the crowd joins them in remembering loved ones.

“With the subject matter, it can be an incredibly somber-sounding event,” Woelfel said. “It’s incredibly sad to think about children in the fight for their lives. But it really is a celebration of life. I’ve heard some of the most crushing, heart-wrenching stories of individuals losing their children, but we also have the incredible success stories of kids beating cancer. We have some young adults now coming back to these events who have beat cancer in large part due to the donations through St. Baldrick’s and the research and the new treatments that come from it.”

Woelfel spoke to the overall importance of the event, recalling the gap that exists in funding for childhood cancer research compared to adult cancer research.

“I think it is a fact that everybody, unfortunately, has been touched by cancer,” Woelfel said. “Every family has their own story and their own experience. I just feel like it’s even more needed whenever you see an innocent, young child who has their entire life in front of them.”

Columbia Superintendent of Schools Chris Grode is one of the individuals set to have his head shaved this Saturday.

Though he has jokingly complained about his uncut hair to the Columbia School Board, Grode said he wished to get involved with the program in order to follow the lead of students in the district who have shown their support for the Snow Angels.

Grode’s involvement also comes from a personal place.

“I was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2017,” Grode said. “Having the opportunity to raise funds for research, especially targeted for children, seemed to make sense.”

Woelfel, once again anticipating getting his hair shaved off, expressed a similar sentiment about wanting to stay involved in the fundraiser.

“I feel like if there’s anything I can do to give back, that’s what I’m gonna do,” Woelfel said. “I think as the kids get involved and the parents get involved, they see this, they hear the stories, they hear the success stories, they hear the struggles that these families go through. I just think that people want to be involved.”

Columbia’s St. Baldrick’s event takes place this Saturday at Ace’s Wild, 208 N. Main Street. For more information or to donate, visit stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/14027/2024.