The trimmings truly can add up-at least when it comes to Head Shaving Night for Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Boyertown’s Rita’s Water Ice held the event for the ninth year in a row on Sunday, June 29. Through community donations, sponsorships and willing heads-the event raised more than $5,000 as of Monday, June 30, which brings the franchise’s 2014 total to more than $19,000 and a grand total of more than $114,000.
More than 20 individuals had their heads shaved by volunteers from Beauty by Design.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is a national fundraising movement created for the fight against and the awareness of childhood cancer. ALSF is inspired by Alexandra ‘Alex’ Scott (1996-2004).
Alex’s parents, Jay and Liz Scott, attended the event in Boyertown, expressing appreciation for the community support and also for the example set by Rita’s Water Ice.
‘It’s incredible-the support we get,’ said Parrish Stauffer, owner of the Boyerown Rita’s. ‘I can’t put it into words.’
Stauffer, who has had his head shaved every year, describes how the act of head shaving is a symbol for the childen who have lost their hair as a result of cancer.
‘The first couple of years, we didn’t take donations,’ he explained, noting how the event has evolved over the years. ‘It started as a symbolic thing.’
This year, Stauffer had his head shaved by his mother while seated next to his 7-year-old nephew Brady Behr and speaking with his son via Skype. His son was streaming live from Arkansas with a boy who is battling cancer.
Since the beginning, the organizers thought the event would serve better as a fund-raiser. Now the organizers must control the amount of participants due to time constraints. ‘There’s people that come back year after year,’ he said, noting one boy in particular who has raised nearly $4,000 over the years.
A balloon release was held to conclude the event; nearly fifty yellow balloons were released.
Stauffer added that his biggest fear each year is the weather, and it’s unpredictablity, but that wasn’t the case this year.
Rita’s Water Ice fund-raises for Alex’s Lemonade Stand each year throughout the month of June.
