Video: CCU students shave their head for cancer

On Monday, Oct. 9, The Coop Bar and Grill hosted its 2nd Annual Shaving Heads for Cancer event.

About a dozen people had their head shaved in front of an excited crowd all in support of those affected by cancer.

Kelly Kircher was one of those volunteers. He did it for his parents, who both are battling the disease. He said the support from the community has been overwhelming.

“My entire fraternity’s here, we’ve got sorority’s here, people who have nothing to do with Greek like who just know about the story are all showing up and coming to support my parents and that really means so much to me,” said Kircher.

While his parents knew they were traveling to Conway to watch their son get his head shaved, they had no idea what Kircher and the community really had planned for them.

The community raised over $1,000 just for the family to help cover medical bills while they undergo chemotherapy.

“I made my mom feel good, I made my dad feel good,” said Kircher. “In not only they got money to help them out but also that they have so much support for them.”

While the money helped out their family with costs, the event also helped out those still hurting and healing, like Nick Balestracci, who also had his head shaved.

“My family has unfortunately been plagued with having cancer,” said Balestracci. “I’m just really happy I can in some way contribute.”

Overall, the community raised over $9,000 for the event. Twenty percent went to the Kircher family, 20 percent when to the bar owner’s nephew, whose mother passed away from breast cancer about ten years ago, and the rest of the money went the Look Good, Feel Better charity.

Tami Fogleman, the local volunteer of the charity, said she was taken aback with all the support she saw and was glad she was a part of this event.

“It just touched me so much to know that these kids really care about this community,” said Fogleman. “Women who have been diagnosed with cancer are going through treatment, lose their hair, which is a devastating side effect for them. So tonight, is just about giving back to our community.