We need your help!

Somewhere around 2003, when I had lost a lot of weight, I participated in a fund raising walk to raise funds for AIDS.  I asked readers of Funny the World if they would help me raise funds by donating through the web page.  I was overwhelmed and very grateful to the number of people who donated.

I decided NOT to turn to the public to raise funds for the bike ride I did for the homeless, which ended my newborn biking career by wrecking my knee.

But now I'm asking for your help again.  I mentioned this a few days ago.

Ned and I are going to do a mother-son head shaving to raise funds for children's cancer research.  Every 3 minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer and, like so many good causes, research into childhood cancers (which are different from adult cancers) is under-funded.

This year the shaving will take place on March 12, at DeVere's pub (where Walt goes for his Guinness every Thursday before picking me up at Logos), as it does every year.  They set up a shaving station with 3 or 4 chairs and shavers outside the patio of DeVeer's.  In the past, the pub has also given free beer to a shavee after the deed is done.

Readers may remember that our friend Nancianne (who is older than I, and a university professor) has had her head shaved for the last two years.

I came along as the designated photographer for both events and last year, surrounded by a lot of bald people, as I watched her white hair fall to the ground, I realized what a wonderful opportunity it was to help children and decided then that I would participate this year.

Since Ned is no stranger to "doing things" with his hair, whether the odd way he has it cut...or shaved...to the many colors he has regaled us with over the years, I thought that it might add a bit more interest if we did it as mother and son.  He has agreed and so we now have a page at the St. Baldrick's fund raising web site where they make it very easy for you to donate.

https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/746970/2015

Ever the publicist, I also saw a human interest story in it.  We are not exactly unknown in town, and I work for the paper, so I contacted the editor and asked if they would send a photographer to cover the story for me.

Not only will she send a photographer to the shaving, but they will do a pre-event story too, to raise awareness and perhaps get a few donations from the community that way.

Perhaps I am being optimistic, but I set a goal of $500 to raise by March 12.  I would love to exceed that goal, but I'll be happy for anything that people are willing to donate to help me meet my goal.

So here is my plea.  Please look in your heart and donate, whether $1 or $100, I don't care.  Unlike other political fund raisers that I hear from all the time, I don't promise that if you just donate $3 today we can cure cancer, but if you donate today, I will love you forever.  Every little bit helps and I will be forever grateful to the best blog readers on the internet.