CAYMAN
COMMUNITY SET TO UNITE AGAINST CHILDHOOD CANCER ONCE MORE AT 7TH
ANNUAL BIG SHAVE

Every
September hundreds of supporters come together in Cricket Square to
unite as one voice against childhood cancer at The Hannah’s Heroes
Big Shave. What started in 2013 as a small group of cancer parents
with a mission to raise awareness and funds for research has become a
crucial milestone event for the St Baldrick’s Foundation, the
largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research in the US.
Fundraising in Cayman has generated US $2.2 Million and resulted in
the naming of 9 separate research grants at the most prestigious
institutes across the US, including John Hopkins, Dana Farber and
Duke University, where researchers are working on life changing
treatments and cures funded by the St Baldricks Foundation, all named
in honour of Hannah Meeson. In fact The Big Shave has made it into
the Foundation’s top ten fundraisers every year since 2014 amidst
hundreds of events around the world and is the Foundation’s most
successful overseas fundraiser.

With
just 12 weeks until the seventh Big Shave, organisers are encouraging
supporters to forego their Summer haircuts and sign up to shave their
heads and and help fund further research grants for all types of
childhood cancer research. This year’s Big Shave will take place on
Friday 20 September at The Wicket in Cricket Square.

"The efforts of the Cayman
community have been entirely life changing for children and families
facing a cancer diagnosis everywhere. Just 50 years ago all kids
diagnosed with cancer died. Because of research today about 90% of
kids with the most common types of cancer will live but for many
other types, progress has been limited and for some there is still
little hope for a cure. Currently all childhood cancers combined
receive only 4% of US federal funding for cancer research so without
vital research funded by organizations like St Baldrick’s, Hannah
and children like her simply will not survive. All children deserve
to grow up and realise their full potential and it’s something that
most families take for granted, “ says Mrs. Gaylene Meeson, founder
of Hannah’s Heroes and mother of 11 year old Hannah Meeson, who was
diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer, in 2012.

When
the crowd gathers in Cricket Square on 20 September they will
celebrate and honour Cayman’s childhood cancer heroes Matthew Chong
Ping (15), Tayden Grant (12) Hannah Meeson (11), Charli Foster (11),
Allie Capasso (11), Beau Shields(9), Ava Paige Rico (9), Annabelle
Reading (8), Saylor Sperandeo (8) and Mimi Ebank (6) and will
remember angels. Dimitrie Connor (forever 15), Caitlin Beverley
(forever 8) and Albert Ebanks (forever 16).

Amongst
those already signed up to brave the shave is five time shavee Eugene
Nolan of Savage Consulting who has raised over $40,000 for Hannah’s
Heroes.

“it’s
an amazing and humbling event and such an important cause. As a
parent, I thank God for my healthy daughter and the bright future she
has ahead of her. I feel incredibly lucky we can make a difference to
kids fighting cancer by doing something so simple. This event
inspires everyone and demonstrates how a small community can pull
together to make a huge difference and create a future where kids
don’t die from cancer and can just be kids.”

Several
teams
have already committed their support ahead of this year’s event,
including teams from Maples, Dart, PwC, KPMG, the Cayman Islands Fire
Service and students at Clifton Hunter High School, Cayman Prep and
High School and John Gray High School will be hosting satellite shave
events for students and staff to raise funds throughout September.

Organisers
recognize that shaving isn’t for everyone but are encouraging the
entire community to get involved throughout Childhood Cancer
Awareness month by hosting bake sales, dress down days at work or
school, sponsoring a colleague or friend shaving at The Big Shave and
by attending the event on 20th
September.

Visit: http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/hannahsheroes or email: http://team@hannahsheroes.ky for more information. 

Notes

The
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-powered charity committed
to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood
cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. For more
information visit www.StBaldricks.org

Hannah’s
Heroes is
a Hero Fund of the St Baldrick’s Foundation and is established as a
STAR Trust with Conyers Trust Company (Cayman) Limited, a licensed
trust company, as the Trustee.  It is exempted from registration
under the Non-Profit Organisations Law 2017