A group from West Hartford’s Conard High School helped raise funds and awareness by shaving their heads as part of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Coaches United Against Cancer event.

Conard High School seniors Abby and Kate Gosselin had their heads shaved to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

Conard High School Assistant Principal Jamahl Hines didn’t look dramatically different after having his head shaved on Tuesday as part of a St. Baldrick’s Foundation event, but the same could not be said of 17-year-old seniors Abby and Kate Gosselin.

The identical twins from West Hartford, who both had below-the-shoulder hair until late Tuesday afternoon, said they decided to participate in the event in honor of their friend and fellow Conard senior, Seamus Turco, who has been getting cancer treatment for more than a year. St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds research into cures for childhood cancer.

“We wanted to support Seamus,” Kate said. When Conard coaches called together team captains several weeks ago to spread the word about the Coaches United Against Cancer and St. Baldrick’s Foundation event, Kate said both she and her twin sister decided to have their heads shaved.

“I’m excited,” Abby said before the shaving. She said she didn’t think she would mind the looks she might get from the public. “It will be attention for a good cause, and I can say I’m supporting cancer,” she said.

When asked how she would feel about going to senior prom with hair that will still be little more than a buzz cut, Abby said that was the first thing her mom thought of. “We’ve never been girls who cared too much about things like that. We’ll look good no matter what,” Abby said.

Neither girl planned to wear a wig, but both said they bought new hats in case it gets cold again.

Although he now shaves his head regularly, Hines said that he had never done it until he participated in his first St. Baldrick’s event in 2012. “I was too vain,” he said, until he met a woman who was a recovering cancer patient who was a willing participant. Hines and Spanish teacher Alison Peake, who has also participated in past St. Baldrick’s events, decided to start a Conard team this year.

“We have a number of students and families fighting cancer,” said Hines. “I’m tired of not fighting back, and this is a wonderful way to fight back, to put a dent in the research and help youngsters.”

Hines said that about 15 people were part of the Conard team that formed just a few weeks ago, and by Tuesday evening the group had raised $3,750. Hines said next year he said he will form the team earlier and should be able to raise even more.

Peake already knew what it was like to lose her hair because 13 years ago she underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer. Last year a friend asked her to donate to a St. Baldrick’s event, but Peake said she thought she could raise more money by participating herself.

“I can’t think of a better cause,” said Peake. She has known many adults who have died of cancer, and a friend’s 2-year-old is a survivor. “It grows back. Hair is just a thing.”

“There are two seniors in my class who were diagnosed with cancer, and as leader of the school I thought I should do it,” Conard Student Council President Brian Wilson said before going under the razor.

Conard head boys soccer coach Adam Linker brought his 7-year-old son Jeremy, and both got their hair buzzed. “We went through quite a bit this fall with a player battling cancer,” Linker said. He was wearing the purple shirt that the soccer team created and sold in the fall, when they raised nearly $1,000 in honor of teammate Seamus Turco.

Linker’s father-in-law is a three-time cancer survivor, and he said that the sister of his son Jeremy’s best friend is in the middle of battling cancer right now. “Anything we can do to help,” he said.

“No regrets,” was the response from both Abby and Kate Gosselin about their newly buzzed heads. Kate that she had enough hair cut off so that she could give back another way – donating it to an organization like Locks of Love so that it could be used to make wigs for patients.

“I think it’s awesome. It was their idea and I’m supporting their doing it despite prom, and graduation, and heading off to college soon,” said Paul Gosselin, Kate and Abby’s dad who was at the event.

Tuesday’s event was held at The Tavern in Farmington. Organizer Jon Cohn said he brought the Coaches United Against Cancer program to the Hartford area eight years ago, and said that since then the organization has raised more than $200,000 with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Cohn, who coaches club soccer in Farmington and is varsity coach of the Manchester High School girls varsity soccer team, challenged the Conard athletic program to see which school could generate the most shaves and donations.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation was formed in 2004 from an idea that started in 1999, shaving heads to raise money for cancer. To date, the foundation has raised over $100 million for cancer research grants.

The Conard team will be accepting additional donations for the next two weeks. To donate, click here.

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Conard seniors Abby (left) and Kate Gosselin, before having their heads shaved in support of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

From left: Conard Spanish teacher Alison Peake, Student Council President Brian Wilson, Social Studies teacher Matt Collins, and Assistant Principal Jamahl Hines before getting their heads shaved. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Coach Adam Linker and his son Jeremy both had their hair buzzed in support of the Coaches United Against Cancer and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Conard soccer coach Adam Linker wears a shirt that the team sold in the fall as a fundraiser for teammate Seamus Turco. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Conard soccer coaches Art Yepes and Adam Linker. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Volunteers shave heads. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

The Gosselin girls in the process of getting their heads shaved. Photo courtesy of Paul Gosselin

Member of the Conard boys soccer team also had their heads shaved in support of Coaches United Against Cancer and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. From left: Antonio Masse, Jordan Scrimgeour, Declan O’Brien, and Brendan D’Arcy. Photo courtesy of Brenda O’Brien