Meet Zach Beck, a North Collins Senior with a Legacy of Going Bald for Bucks.
For North Collins student Zach Beck, going Bald for Bucks is a tradition spanning more than a decade. Zach’s mom, Billie, encouraged Zach to get involved with the fundraiser when he was just a preschooler, making him one of the youngest students in the district to shave his head for cancer awareness and research. Now in his senior year, Zach’s one of the oldest students involved with the annual fundraiser. 2023 marks his 14th year shaving his head.
“When I was younger, it was honestly just being part of something with the big kids,” Zach says about doing Bald for Bucks. “As I got older, it was a tradition. At that point, I’d try and encourage some of my friends to do it.”
Making Shaving His Head a Tradition
“When I was younger, it was honestly just being part of something with the big kids,” Zach says about doing Bald for Bucks. “As I got older, it was a tradition. At that point, I’d try and encourage some of my friends to do it.”
And he has. He’s gotten his girlfriend and some of his high school friends to participate in the fundraiser with him. Though the North Collins Elementary School spearheads the annual Bald for Bucks event, Margie Dintino, a North Collins teacher and former event coordinator, says they invite all students and community members to join in. Zach has been one of the few to do it annually for more than a decade.
“Today, they asked about Zack, and if he can come back. He’s been doing it since kindergarten, and he’s graduating this year. We do open it up to community members, so it can be a generational thing. It’s fabulous,” Margie says, smiling.
Zach’s Connection to the Cancer Cause
Zach participates in Bald for Bucks in honor of his grandmother who passed away from lung cancer when he was just three years old. His mother remembers her fondly, but Zach never had the chance to make lasting memories with her. Instead, they hope his participation in the cancer fundraiser will keep her legacy alive.
“My mom would watch Zach while I was working, and then she ended up getting sick. It was sad because Zach was so little, and he doesn’t really remember her. So, this was kind of a way to keep her memory going, so he had something to hold on to,” Billie says.
But for this mother-son duo, this annual tradition has larger implications that leave a ripple effect for future generations. By raising money for cancer research, Zach and his mom hope researchers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center will find new breakthroughs in cancer care that will save more lives. For that reason, he encourages everyone to get involved in the cause.
Bald for Bucks in One Word
“It’s a nice way to try and help the world move past some of the darker parts,” Zach says. “It might not seem like much, but every little thing that you can do to help moves us closer to not having to worry about cancer in the future.”
At the end of the day, Zach says it all boils down to one word: Hope.
“Because every single head shaved, every single dollar donated is just a reminder of how so many people can work together to try and fix something that other people say is unfixable.”
Learn more about your impact or start your own Bald for Bucks fundraiser.