Walnut Creek police raise $32,000 from head-shaving fundraiser

In all, 61 people made the big sacrifice of having their heads shaved last week to show solidarity with and to raise money for children with cancer. Their sacrifice paid off, as Walnut Creek Police Sgt. Lanny Edwards explains. Here is his update regarding last week's event, organized by the Walnut Creek Police Department on behalf of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Take it away, Sergeant: 

"The Walnut Creek Police Department (WCPD) would like to thank the many men, women and children who came out in support of our first St Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser.  A total of sixty one heads were shaved on May 4th and over $32,000 raised for children’s cancer research.  St Baldrick’s personnel told us that for being a first time event, the size and amount raised was unbelievable.  WCPD is especially proud that ALL monies raised were a result of family and friends donating to a good cause.  There were no large corporate sponsorships and all items donated and services offered were from local businesses here in town and our surrounding cities.  Lastly, a huge thank you to the nine hair stylists that donated their time and efforts to make 61 people bald and countless other participants realize how fortunate we are to have our health."

There will be a lot of bald cops, officials, dispatchers, and kids around town now

They came, they submitted, they lost their hair. More than 50 police officers from Walnut Creek and Concord, as well as the chief of Walnut Creek police, an assistant city attorney, several female police employees and some kids draped themselves in the green apron. And, they sat there smiling, laughing, maybe a little teary-eyed and maybe a bit in shock, as they had their hair taken off--first with scissors then with an electric razor. All of it went, until all they had on top of their heads was a dome of peach-fuzz like stubble.

The occasion Tuesday evening at Walnut Creek's Civic Park Community Center was a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a nonprofit that holds these shave-a-thons to show solidarity with and raise money for children diagnosed with cancer.

Walnut Creek police organized Tuesday's event, looking to raise at least $29,000 Tuesday evening.

Instigator Sgt. Lanny Edwards got City Council member Kish Rajan to submit, as well as Police Chief Joel Bryden, and a lieutenant or two. Some Concord officers came along as well, to show they can raise money and submit to a head shave as well as Walnut Creek officers. Top fundraisers for the event, nudged on by an informal contest set up by Edwards, were Edwards himself, who sacrificed his thick silver crop, Assistant City Attorney Bryan Wenter, who until Tuesday evening had a very dark, thick head of hair,  and Lt. Mark Perlite, who was also being nudged, for the right price, to give up his stylish goatee. More than $10,000 was raised among the three of them.

Some of the biggest applause went to female police employees who gave up their hair for the cause. They included dispatchers Alisha White and Carrie Moore. The latter donated three long braids of blond hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit that takes donated hair and makes it into quality hair pieces for financially disadvantaged children with cancer.

Records technician Carol Earley did it on a whim after being told the crowd would put it a couple hundred dollars. "If you can get me in in the next 15 minutes, I'll do it," she said. Afterwards, she rubbed the soft feeling stubble and contemplated what her husband would say

Walnut Creek Intermediate sixth grader Brendan Miller sat to have his once blond, until more recently dyed black and orange hair shaved off. Just before he was to sit for his head shaving, he learned he had brought in another donation, reaching his goal of $2,000 for the event.

Walnut Creek sixth grader gets ready to lose his hair--to raise money for kids with cancer

If Brendan Miller is going to volunteer to have his blond locks shorn for a very good cause, he figures he might as well do it in style. 

First of all, the Walnut Creek Intermediate student has so far raised $1,000. He's donating this money towards efforts by Walnut Creek police officers to pull together $100,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization that hosts head-shaving parties to raise money and to show solidarity for kids diagnosed with cancer. 


Brendan will be at a WCPD-sponsored head-shaving party in Civic Park next Tuesday afternoon.  And, yes, Brendan will be saying good bye to the hair on his head. 

However, the hair he'll be losing Tuesday won't be blond. Not anymore. That's because Brendan, with the help of his grandmother Paula Miller, has been having fun making a fashion statement with the hair he will soon lose--while also learning valuable lessons about himself and helping others.

Says Paula Miller about the photos shown here: "First is the 'natural'  Brendan, then he dyed his hair black, and the third photo shows him after almost two hours at Raymond Marc Salon where Robert added a more exciting color combination that will last until next Tuesday."


Brendan, a graduate of Murwood Elementary, doesn't know any kids who have had cancer, but has become excited about helping with this cause, Paula Miller says.

"More than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year," explains Sgt. Lanny Edwards, the Walnut Creek police officer who is organizing Tuesday's head-shaving fundraiser. "Despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of children in the United States and Canada." Adds Edwards: "We're out to help change that."

St. Baldrick's has raised more than $83 million since 2000 with its unique head-shaving events. Brendan Miller will be doing his part to add to that pot of money to help kids with cancer. 

"We are having a lot of fun with this project," Paula Miller says. "It certainly has helped to build [Brendan's] self-confidence when dealing with adults and other kids his age." She adds that Brendan is not embarrassed "one bit" about going to school with dyed black hair--and now orange and black striped hair.

The Walnut Creek-sponsored event will be held Tuesday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center, 1375 Civic Drive. The police department is coordinating this fundraiser and encouraging other law enforcement organizations, firefighters, businessmen, clubs, teams, groups, etc to come participate.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors.

For more information, visit the event website, or contact Sgt. Edwards with the Walnut Creek Police at (925) 256-3596. 

Shave your head for a good cause: to help kids with cancer

The Walnut Creek Police Department is coordinating a special fundraising event on May 4 to help a special group of kids: those diagnosed with cancer. Members of the department are  asking people to shave their heads to show solidarity with kids who are in treatment, or to sponsor someone--man or woman--who is willing to do so.

The police department is holding this event at Civic Community Park to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which has raised more than $83 million since 2000 with this unique head-shaving testimonial.  The police department has a goal of raising $100,000.

"More than 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year. Despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of children in the United States and Canada," says Sgt. Lanny Edwards. "We're out to help change that."

Just the other day, as Claycord.com reported, Chloe, a 7-year-old girl in our community died on April 3 after being diagnosed just six months ago with a brain tumor.


Edwards says that participants find that shaving their head is a small sacrifice in comparison to what these children endure, and want to raise money to help find a cure for children with cancer now and in the future.


The Walnut Creek-sponsored event will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center, 1375 Civic Drive . The head-shavings will commence from 4:30-8:30 PM. The police department is coordinating this fundraiser and encouraging other law enforcement organizations, firefighters, businessmen, clubs, teams, groups, etc to come participate.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors.

The foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child.

For more information, visit the event website, or contact Sergeant Lanny Edwards with the Walnut Creek Police at (925) 256-3596.