Why I chose to go BOLD for Bucks
Author Jenna sports Bald for Bucks colored hair that is short, teal and purple with curls.

By Jenna Schifferle, Roswell Park Alliance Foundation Staff Member

My Bald for Bucks journey began at Nichols School, where I was inspired by a fearless little girl who shaved her head for cancer research. Soon after that event, I decided to take action and start my very own Bald for Bucks fundraiser.

Bald for Bucks started as a school-based fundraiser, but it isn’t only for schools and organizations; it’s for anyone who wants to make a difference — with a group or on your own. Here’s how I made my individual Bald for Bucks fundraiser happen.

Bald for Bucks is for anyone who wants to make a difference — with a group or on your own.

How to Go Bald for Bucks Solo

Author Jenna sports long brown hair and a Bald for Bucks T-shirt

1.

Bald or bold? First, I chose what I wanted to do with my hair. Going bald wasn’t for me but going bold most certainly was. I resolved to cut my hair short and dye it in Bald for Bucks’ signature teal and purple.

2.

Fundraising. Bald for Bucks makes fundraising easy. I visited the website here, clicked “register” at the top of the page and filled out the information to get a fundraising dashboard. Next, I:

Voilà! From there, it was just a matter of talking about my fundraiser on social media and in person.

3.

Logistics. Once I set up my fundraiser, I determined where and when. My cousin’s daughter recently became a certified hairstylist. She wasn’t certified in color yet, but I wanted her to do the initial cut, so I started by setting a date with her. For the color, I searched local salons, found Atomic Barbershop and made a second appointment for a few weeks later.

4.

Social media. Leading up to my event dates, I posted about what it meant to me to go Bald. My hair was almost to my waist, naturally colored and mostly untampered with so changing my natural look was a huge step for me. I let my friends and family know that, asked for donations on social media and made sure people knew why it mattered — to me and for the future of cancer care. Then, I shared live updates on my stories and posted a “before” and “after” picture with my fundraising link. Read more.

Jenna gets her sits in a barber chair and gets her hair cut.

5.

Making my hair donation go further. Raising funds for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center was my goal, but I wanted to make my hair donation go even further. So, I donated my 10 inches of hair to Children with Hair Loss, and all it took was a few rubber bands, an envelope and a stamp. Read more.

6.

Saying thank you! When all was said and done, I made a point to reach out to each and every person who donated to me to thank them for their contribution. You can do this directly through your fundraising dashboard, but I also texted people and thanked them in person.

Jenna and her stylist stand side by side after completing a haircut.
Jenna wears hair foils and smiles.
Jenna smiles as the stylist curls her newly died teal and purple hair.
A before and after picture show the author's hair going from short and brown to teal and purple.