Beauty is as Beauty Does – Miss Virginia to Go Bald to Support the St Baldrick’s Foundation and Childhood Cancer Research

Your Help is Needed for Miss Virginia to Reach Her Fundraising Goal of $500,000 – Donate Today!

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, is asking Virginians to help Miss Virginia, Tara Wheeler, reach her fundraising goal of $500,000. With a mission of Shaving the Way to Conquer Kids’ Cancer, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation hosts worldwide head-shaving events where volunteers shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research.

“I owe it to these kids because I am in a position to do a lot of good, and I want to do the most that I can”

Wheeler, the reigning Miss Virginia, will shave her head at the April 11 St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving event at Crystal City Sports Pub in Arlington, Va. if she meets her fundraising goal. Passionate about empowering others, Wheeler is encouraging everyone to help her meet her goal and watch as she goes bald for a vital cause.

“I owe it to these kids because I am in a position to do a lot of good, and I want to do the most that I can,” said Wheeler. “I’m also doing this for a young girl named Kassidy who did not win her battle with cancer. When I spoke at a middle school, a 6^th grade girl came up to me and gave me a bracelet that said ‘Kassidy Our Champion’ on it. Kassidy was her sister who died last year of cancer when she was 12 years old. I wear it every day, and every day I work to be worthy of having it.”

If every household in Virginia donates just the cost of one cup of coffee at their local coffee shop, Miss Virginia would surely go bald on April 11 and even surpass her fundraising goal. To donate toward Miss Virginia’s head shaving goal and to watch her video about why she is so moved by the cause, please visit her St. Baldrick’s Web page.

St. Baldrick’s has set a fundraising goal of $20 million dollars in 2009. Since 2000, St. Baldrick’s has raised more than $60 million by hosting more than 2,200 head-shaving events and shaving more than 94,000 heads in 18 countries and 48 U.S. states.

About The St. Baldrick’s Foundation

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors. The foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is grateful to its many volunteers (bald or not!), donors and sponsors, including Allied World, elope and PartnerRe. For more information about St. Baldrick’s, please call 1-888-899-BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.