If any of you run into Dean Austin, the first thing you may notice is his newly bald head. After two weeks of fundraising, with a total of $12, 270 raised, Dean faced the clippers this past Saturday at the Village of Romeo St. Baldrick’s Foundation event.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers. Each year, 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide. Cancer is the #1 disease killer of children in the US and Canada.
Dean participated in the Village of Romeo event on Team Pietro. Pietro, a 12 year old from Michigan, was diagnosed with a brain tumor called Medulloblastoma last year. He underwent a craniotomy and a ten hour surgery, as well as aggressive chemotherapy. Now in remission, Pietro maintains an A grade average at school, and even won a math competition just five days after brain surgery. Dean was able to meet Pietro and his family on Sunday, when 518 people shaved their heads at the Village of Romeo event. Funds are still being tallied, but so far the event raised $244,000 for cancer research.
We would like to extend our gratitude to our business partners, clients, vendors, friends, and colleagues who generously donated to this extraordinary cause. May Dean’s bald head be testament not only of your generosity, but the strength of each child and family that has been affected by cancer. It is our hope that the funds we raise together will one day help find a cure.
As promised, below are a “before and after” of Dean. You can find more pictures of the event on our Facebook page at Austin Benefits Group.
