About

Brave the Shave is the region’s largest fundraiser on a mission to fight childhood cancer through family support and research.

Impact

At Brave the Shave’s first annual event in 2008, the goal was to raise $10,000 and shave five willing heads. Area organizations, schools, citizens, and kids not only accepted that challenge and accomplished that mission, they blew it away and have continued to set the bar higher for each year’s campaign. Since then, nearly 2,200 volunteers have shaved their heads and raised more than $3 million for kids with cancer.

Supporting the full spectrum

Brave the Shave believes all kids deserve a healthy, worry-free childhood which is why we are committed to supporting the full spectrum of their cancer journey by providing assistance to the families and supporting critical research. The funds raised benefit two organizations – the Brave the Shave Family Fund and the Andrew McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation.

Brave the Shave Family Fund – Providing assistance to families

The Brave the Shave Family Fund honors and supports nearly 100 area families impacted by childhood cancer. The Family Fund, guided by a steering committee made up of our partnering organizations and a family representative, facilitates wrap-around services and support to honoree families to help make a difference in their fight, providing for needs such as air filters for their homes, gas cards to get to appointments hundreds of miles away, relief from the ever-growing mountain of bills and many other unexpected expenses that go along with this horrible diagnosis. The Family Fund serves to lessen these families’ burdens so they can focus on what’s most important — their child’s health.

B+ Foundation – Supporting critical research

The Andrew McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation honors the life of Andrew McDonough. Andrew battled leukemia, septic shock and complications of childhood cancer for 167 days before passing away on July 14, 2007, at the age of 14. Andrew’s B+ blood type became his family’s and friends’ motto throughout his fight against childhood cancer — to “Be Positive”. The foundation is committed to providing world-class, cutting-edge pediatric cancer research to help find a cure for childhood cancers.

Join us?

Are you ready to join in the fight? It’s easy. Raise money and shave your head, cut 8 or more inches of hair or donate to your favorite person shaving. Events are taking place throughout the region.

Our Board

To reach any of our board members, email [email protected]