Volunteers, families, local businesses and community members gathered at the Walden Fire Districton Saturday to celebrate the 15th Annual Hudson Valley St. Baldrick’s Festival. The event began with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Walden Elementary singing “Amazing Grace” and a performance by the Orange County Firefighters Pipes and Drums playing their bagpipes and drums to the crowd of people wearing green St. Baldrick’s t-shirts.

Events included face painting, 50/50, a tricky tray, food, music, and of course head shaving as the main event. The tradition to “brave the shave”, a term coined by the St. Baldrick’s foundation lives on for children battling cancer. During this main attraction, participants shave their heads in solidarity with children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy and in turn raise money for the foundation.

Kristie Hall, Organizer of the event for 13 years and 15 as a volunteer, explains that the event began nearly two decades ago when Hall’s Uncle braved the shave at an event in North Carolina. Her cousin, Robbie visited him and he also got shaved. The movement then migrated to New York when Robbie came home and Hall has been organizing the St. Baldrick’s event in the Hudson Valley in memory of Robbie and Kristie’s cousin, Megan Dunn ever since.
It all started with Megan Dunn and this year it is honoring kids like Cillian, Janis Green’s 4-year-old grandson who was recently diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. She and her family support #CilliansClan and work to raise money for his treatments and keep his loved ones updated on his journey through their Facebook page.

Hall has been the lead organizer for the event since its beginning because she is passionate about ending childhood cancer. She even teared up when reading off the names of the honored kids who were cancer free, in treatment, or deceased. Hall was very happy and seemed relieved that this is the first time in two years that the St. Baldrick’s event was in full effect due to COVID-19 restrictions being lifted. She said that the event in-person is able to draw in more donations as well as engage with the community.

Green has been a part of the St. Baldrick’s event in honor of her niece, Megan, since the beginning stating that she “wants to help the kids” battling cancer through raising money. She was one of the shavees at the event where she got a cancer bow pattern shaved onto the back of her head in honor of her grandson.

As a manager of Sunoco, when Green found out about her grandson being diagnosed with neuroblastoma a month ago, she took immediate action and started collecting donations at her job. “We’ve already-just from donations from the beginning-we got over $2,000 now.” At the St. Baldrick’s event, Green and her family set their own table with a picture of her grandchild with the hashtag #Cilliansclan where she is hosting a raffle to be announced June 1st.

With over $48,000 raised this year, the St. Baldrick’s foundation continues to be the leading non-government organization that contributes the most money to childhood cancer research. The donations raised at the event will go to hospitals researching childhood cancers like Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and more across the tri-state area, says Hall.

To learn more about the organization or to make a donation please visit stbaldricks.org.