Monday, March 14 was a normal day for the Lombardo Companies team, with one exception: 11 of our team members, who had full heads of hair on Friday, were bald.
Rewind to Saturday, March 12: After months of fundraising, Lombardo Companies team members (or Team Lombaldy, as we were called) participated in the annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser in Romeo, Mich., where our 11 shavees – along with nearly 450 children and adult volunteers – “braved the shave” and shaved their heads in solidarity with those fighting childhood cancer.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven organization that’s “committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and to give survivors long and healthy lives.” Each year, the foundation hosts head-shaving events where volunteers collect donations and shave their heads in solidarity with children with cancer. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has donated more than $178 million to support childhood cancer research, making it the largest private funder of such research grants.
This is Lombardo Companies’ second year participating in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser. In 2015, our fearless team of 15 shavees raised more than $45,000 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, far exceeding our goal of $30,000.
This year, Lombardo Companies’ team of construction coordinators, maintenance technicians, office staffers, and homeowners fundraised more than $61,000 for St. Baldrick’s – $16,000 more than we raised last year and more than two times our goal of $30,000.
Team Lombaldy was the top fundraising team at the Village of Romeo event and currently holds the no. 12 spot for all shaving teams throughout the world, with Dave Hamilton, our top fundraiser, listed as the 18th individual participant worldwide. In addition, Village of Romeo is the fourth-highest fundraising event in the world, bringing in more than $257,500 for childhood cancer research.
“When we registered again this year, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Cathy Lombardo, Team Lombaldy captain. “Last year was so successful, and I didn’t know if we could generate the same enthusiasm from our team and trade partners, especially since we had fewer shavees. I couldn’t believe the support we received from our team, trade partners, homeowners, families, and friends. Everyone stepped up in a big way.”
To learn more about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, visit their website.
