Fighting cancer, shaving heads

The Coop Bar and Grill is hosting its 2nd Annual Shaving Heads for Cancer event to raise money for those who have been impacted by breast cancer.

The owner, Ryan Weatherwax, said ever since his sister passed away from her battle with breast cancer 10 years ago, he has held fundraisers for breast cancer organizations.

Last October, the Coop Bar and Grill raised almost $10,000 and donated 20 percent to his late sister’s son’s college fund, another 20 percent to a Coastal Carolina student who has a parent with breast cancer and the rest to the Look Good, Feel Better organization.

Look Good, Feel Better is dedicated to improving the quality of life and self-esteem of people undergoing cancer treatment, according to their website. Weatherwax said they chose this organization because the money donated stays in Horry County and helps out people in the community with cancer.

This type of donating was something Weatherwax said he has been interested in.

“What I always wanted to do was shave heads,” said Weatherwax. “Last year, there was a group on campus that wanted to do their senior thesis, so it started as a little fundraiser and then we said, ‘let’s shave heads.’”

Weatherwax said this year they have somewhere between 20 and 25 groups competing against one another to raise the most money. A member from each team will get on stage and have their head shaved.

Their goal is to raise $20,000, and the group to raise the most money gets a gift certificate.

Weatherwax said this isn’t about life’s trivial things, it’s about helping others and he wants the people participating to know that.

“We want them to realize there’s more to life than going out to the bars, or going out to the clubs, or being on social media,” said Weatherwax. “Every $5 adds up, and that little bit of money is going to help somebody tremendously.”

He said what’s matters most to him aren’t the profits from the day, but the people they’re doing this for.

“That’s why it’s important to me. Not that we’ll have 500 people here. Not that we’ll be on the news. Not that they’re going to spend a lot of money,” said Weatherwax. “It’s the fact that we’re going to raise, hopefully $15,000 to $20,000 and immediately, we’re going to affect two people’s lives—the students and their parents.”

Weatherwax said if his sister was here today, she would have nothing but incredible words to say to him.

“She’d just be amazed. She’d say ‘amazing,’ that I’m making everybody proud,” Weatherwax said. “My sister was an amazing woman. She didn’t have a lot, she didn’t care about a lot. She cared about other people, which is amazing.”

This year, the Coop Bar and Grill will have a surprise for a Coastal Carolina University student’s family.

The 2nd Annual Shaving Heads for Cancer event will be on Oct. 9 at the Coop Bar and Grill of Highway 544 in Conway.

More information can be found here.