George Town, Grand Cayman, July 17, 2018

With just 10 weeks to go until this year’s Hannah’s Heroes Big Shave, organisers are encouraging supporters to forego their next haircut and shave their heads in September to help raise money for the St Baldrick’s Foundation. This year’s event will take place on Friday 28th September at the Wicket, Cricket Square.

Now in its sixth year The Big Shave was inspired by Cayman born Hannah Meeson, who was diagnosed in 2012 with anaplastic medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. Hannah’s parents Gaylene and Nigel Meeson created the event to raise awareness about childhood cancer and raise money for research.

“As a parent of a child with cancer there are moments that you are overwhelmed by helplessness and despair and the desperate need to do something, anything, to help find a cure.  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. Meeson.

Since fundraising began five years ago, supporters of Hannah’s Heroes have raised US $1.6 million for the St Baldrick’s Foundation and funded 6 separate research grants at some of the most prestigious research institutes across the US, including John Hopkins in Baltimore, the Dana Farber institute in Boston and Duke University in North Carolina, where researchers are working on life changing treatments and cures funded by St Baldrick’s research grants named in Hannah’s honour. Organisers are striving to reach US $2 Million by the end of this year to fund further research grants for all types of childhood cancer research.

Since last year’s Big Shave, at least three more children in Cayman have been diagnosed with cancer and tragically, Albert Ebanks a 15 year old pupil at John Gray High School lost his battle with Leukemia earlier this year. Albert’s family will join the parents of other childhood cancer families at this year’s event, and shave for the first time along with the father and brother of 10 year old survivor Allie Capasso, who was diagnosed with Adrenal cancer aged 6.

Several corporate teams have also committed their support ahead of this year’s event, including teams from Maples, Dart, PwC, Ogier, KPMG and Savage Consulting, and students from 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.

Organisers recognize that shaving isn’t for everyone, but are encouraging everyone 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 28th September.

Visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/hannahsheroes

or email [email protected]

to get involved or for more information.

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.