Making a difference.
Gathering their community.
What did two cousins do when their uncle was diagnosed with cancer? They used their close cousin bond to ignite their talents and bring together people from across the country to raise funds for cancer care through Bald for Bucks.
Meet Hannah and Francesca. To them, Uncle Chris is everything. They call him their second dad. One of their favorite memories is when his son Jesse graduated from college and Chris and his wife, Carvita, took all 30 of their nieces and nephews to Disney World.
When Chris was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 2021 it hit their family like a ton of bricks. When Hannah and Francesca began to look for a way to support their uncle, they found Bald for Bucks.
Francesca and Hannah are small business owners. Hannah owns Babbling Bootique and Francesca is a teacher who shares her story as Miss Cutrona’s Classroom. Together, they gathered 11 small shops on Instagram from all over the country to auction their products to raise money for Roswell Park.
“We have all these people who are so talented, who could really contribute through community collaboration. Why not showcase their creative juices? We are supporting the small shop community and supporting Bald for Bucks.”
Going Bald for Bucks.
Feel connected.
They came together to cut, shave, style and auction their products to end cancer. And it paid off. They raised over $2,000 for cancer research! “It was a lot of community collaboration that shows how big people’s hearts can be,” Hannah explained.
Cancer touches everyone. Going Bald for Bucks connects you to the cancer community all over the world. Francesca said, “it’s not just about Chris, it’s about the whole community of people who are affected by cancer. I know all our family has been affected by cancer but there are so many other families affected. Of course, we want to support our uncle, but we also want to support the whole community because everyone is affected by cancer.”
Be part of a community.
“Sometimes we don’t understand the reality of just how big Roswell Park is. We are so spoiled to have it right in our backyard. People come from all over the country to participate in research, study or to receive treatment there.”
Francesca feels like part of the Roswell Park family. “Roswell is a place that does not just support the person who has cancer, they support the entire family. Patients go there and feel like they are part of the family there, too.”
Choosing to go Bald for Bucks is a no-brainer when you are doing it for someone you love. “By donating our hair and taking a piece of ourselves and giving it to someone else who can use it, shows him that we care,” Hannah said.
There are so many ways to get involved with the Bald for Bucks and use your hair to show you care. Hannah cut 12 inches off her hair, Francesca cut 5 inches and Teddy, Hannah’s student, shaved his entire head. To rally with them Hannah’s husband shaved his head, and their friend Zach also donated 8 inches of his hair!
Going Bald is creative, impactful and fun. There are no rules as to how much or how little you can contribute. All that matters is choosing to make a difference. Take it from Francesca and Hannah, rally your community and make an impact that lasts forever.
