St. Baldrick Foundation leads assault on childhood cancer
By Long Hwa-Shu Special to The News-Sun February 5, 2012 7:16PM
Mundelein 02/04/12--Claudia Burgett of Mundelein had her hair put into pony tails and friends paid $5 to pick a pony tail to be shaved off at the St. Baldricks event at the Community Protestant Church in Mundelein on Saturday, February 4, 2012.|Darrell Harmon~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 7, 2012 8:05AM
Four members of a Mundelein family had their heads shaved Saturday to raise money for research to find cures for childhood cancer.
Participating in the shaving event at the Community Protestant Church in Mundelein from the Burgett family were parents Claudia and Barry, plus daughters Amy and Melissa. In addition, Claudia’s father, Jim Court, and her cousin, Michael Court, also volunteered gallantly.
They had their hair shorn to about a quarter-inch long, practically down to a crew cut, in exchange for donations to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a childhood-cancer charity. The foundation, based in Monrovia, Calif., funds research to help find cures for children with cancer. It sponsors shaving events across the country to raise funds.
“It’s painful to see a child going through cancer treatment. We want to do anything we can to help find a cure for childhood cancer,” said Claudia, organizer of the event at which 14 people, including Rev. Alex Molozaiy, pastor of the Mundelein church, had their heads shaved.
The shaving was an expression of solidarity with cancer victims who would normally lose their hair in chemotherapy. More than $4,500 was raised by donors at the event, held in the church’s basement.
“It’s beyond our expectations. We’re still counting. People are donating online. We won’t close the books until next week,” said an exalted Claudia, a church member who works for Weston Solutions Inc. in Vernon Hills.
Claudia’s parents are cancer victims. Her father, Jim Court, is a survivor of prostate cancer and leukemia. Her mother, Shirley, has breast cancer and also thyroid and skin cancer. Her husband, who works for Grainger, lost his father to cancer. Cancer also claimed the life of her cousin’s brother.
“Our family has been touched by cancer. We share the pain and suffering of others afflicted by it,” Claudia said.
“I’m shaving my head to inspire others to donate to childhood-cancer research,” said her father, who is employed by Centre Club in Libertyville.
Claudia’s younger daughter, Melissa Burgett, 13, a seventh-grader at Sandburg Junior High School in Mundelein, said she shaved her hair “to show my support for other families who have been touched by cancer.”
Amy, 22, a student at the College of Lake County, said, “I’m an early-childhood education major, so I have a real soft spot for children, especially the really young ones.”
Her boyfriend, Jeff Johnson of Batavia, chivalrously joined in.
Christyn Hannigan of Fox Lake, a stylist at Salon Gia in Island Lake and a church member, volunteered her time and did all the shearing.
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