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Brookings, S.D. is hosting an event to help fight childhood cancer today, March 20, 2017 at the Brookings Fire Department East Station, 607 20^th Avenue in Brookings. Head shaving will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Those who aren’t able to attend the event can watch it live at https://bravetheshave.coop/. You can also follow Brave the Shave-Brookings on Facebook.

Donations are being accepted at https://donate.bravetheshave.coop/campaign/brookings-event/c113326.

This event is being held to raise money to support local families dealing with childhood cancer and to help fund pediatric cancer research.

The Campbell County Brave the Shave event to help fight childhood cancer was held March 17, 2017 at Dry Fork Station, 12460 State Highway 59 in Gillette, WY from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

This event was held to raise money to support local families dealing with childhood cancer and to help fund pediatric cancer research.

Visit the event’s fundraising page  where you can view those participating in the event or make a donation.

Bismarck-Mandan and beyond sacrificed hair, money, time and talent Friday, March 10, to help fight kids’ cancer. As a result, more than 215 bald heads roam the community.

The 10th annual Brave the Shave flagship event was held March 10 at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA. Hair was flying fast and furious and kids and adults united to raise money for the Brave the Shave Family Fund, which supports local families dealing with a childhood cancer diagnosis and the Andrew McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation, which funds cutting-edge childhood cancer research. Gold hair, blue hair, short hair, long hair, to ultimately no hair, there was no shortage of spirit, spontaneity, and generosity.

“It’s unbelievable and so moving to see an entire community come together to support the common goal of fighting childhood cancer,” says Taner Ohlsen, Brave the Shave’s family representative. “The support from area businesses, organizations, and individuals is truly remarkable.”

Since Basin Electric brought Brave the Shave to the region in 2008, nearly 2,500 volunteers have shaved their heads and raised more than $2.5 million to help support area families and fund childhood cancer research.

Several honorees families were in attendance, and some even braved the shave. Twenty area children and five angel families were honored at this year’s event.

In addition to hair cutting and head shaving, this year’s flagship event included children’s crafts, online auction, face painting, balloon creations, and local mascots. Miss North Dakota International was also in attendance.

Joining Basin Electric as prime sponsors of the event are North American Coal Corporation, Bismarck Cancer Center, Garrison-Max Ambulance District, Starion Bank, and MDU Resources.

Leading up to today were events hosted by Kupper Automotive and Imagine Home Center, where local law enforcement and fire fighters faced off in the fifth annual Guns N’ Hoses event.

Additionally, the Brave the Shave campaign involves tandem events in Beulah and Linton, ND; Gillette, WY; and Brookings, SD. For more information, visit bravetheshave.coop.

Donations for the campaign are still being accepted and tallied. Donate to this year’s campaign at bravetheshave.coop.

“Every year we try to beat the previous year’s total, and so far we’ve been fortunate to do that,” Ohlsen says. “We’re hoping to do it again this year, but regardless of the final total, we feel great about this year’s campaign and all the good that came out of it.”

Each participant has his or her own reason for shaving or cutting their hair. There is a teenage sister who is lopping her lovely long locks to support her brother who was recently diagnosed with cancer. A mom who is doing it so her head will match her daughter’s after she undergoes brain surgery next week. A mother honoring the memory of her forever five-year-old little boy who fought a good fight. And hundreds more who are just doing it because they want more than anything to ease the struggle of families who have a child with cancer. While the reasons are all a little different, they all share a common theme: they’re doing it for the kids. ­

Today is a big day in the Bismarck-Mandan community – it’s the day more than 200 bald heads will emerge from the Missouri Valley Family YMCA to signify that they stand with kids in our community and region who are battling cancer. So far, they’ve raised more than $220,000 and the number continues to rise.

In its 10th year, the Brave the Shave campaign is benefiting more than 65 families in the region dealing with a childhood cancer diagnosis through the Brave the Shave Family Fund. Honoree families have called the Family Fund, “amazing, guardian angels on earth, a miracle, a shelter during a storm, a ray of sunshine in a very rainy season, an umbrella when it’s pouring, and a best friend that understands when others simply can’t.” The campaign will also support pediatric cancer research through the Andrew McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation.

The event begins at 1:30 p.m. and will open with a special ceremony honoring the Brave the Brave the Shave honorees we fondly refer to as “super kids” who will receive VIP badges from area teens dressed as superheroes. WATCH LIVE: https://bravetheshave.coop/

In addition to the honoree entrance, the event will include comments by Joe McDonough, founder of the Andrew McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation, the research arm of this year’s campaign. B+ honors the life of Joe’s son, Andrew, who battled leukemia, septic shock, and complications of childhood cancer for 167 days before passing away at the age of 14. Andrew’s B+ blood type became his family’s and friends’ mantra throughout his fight against cancer – to “be positive.” Joe gave up his career to start this foundation, and he is deeply committed to the cause.

Some of the teams going bald at the event include:

• Basin Electric – Bald by Design. Basin Electric brought Brave the Shave to the region 10 years ago and will feature a number of participants who have shaved for several years in a row.
• MDU Resource’s team, MDUR’s Bulbheads, which features Doug Nelson, who recently won the title of “Bismarck’s Best Beard.” Doug has been doing beard modeling for calendars and runway shows, and will shave his claim to fame off during the event.
• Pansy’s Peeps, the event’s largest team with 42 members. Team members dyed their hair this week a rainbow of colors and designs prior to getting shaved.
• Team Hearts Hope & Hair, a brother-sister team made up of 10-year-old Kenzie and 7-year-old Briton. Both have grown their hair so it can be donated and made into wigs for kids with cancer. Kenzie will shave and donate 18 inches of hair and Briton will shave and donate eight-and-a-half. This team raised the most money by the smallest team.
• NISC has a team rallying around 5-year-old honoree Jadyn, who completed treatment in November and has chosen to shave at the event.
• There are 14 honoree teams total, including Cully’s Crew Cuts, Team Hunter, Team Ryker, All Jazzed Up, Cooper’s Crew, Zakk’s Attack on Cancer, Chase’s Superhero Squad, Go Grace Go, Team Jiry, Team Landon, and Landon’s Warriors. All have parents and other family members shaving as well as members of their incredible support system.

Since 2008, more than 2,200 volunteers have shaved their heads and raised $2.2 million to help fight childhood cancer.

Joining Basin Electric as prime sponsors of the event are North American Coal Corporation, Bismarck Cancer Center, Garrison-Max Ambulance District, and CHI/St. Alexius. Stylists from local salons Spa D’Athena, Luxe Beautique, Man Cave Grooming, Salons on 40^th, and Golden Comb Salon & Day Spa will provide the hair removal service. Site sponsors for the week’s other events were Bismarck Motor Company/Kupper Automotive, Imagine Home Center, and Missouri Valley Family YMCA.

In addition to hair cutting and head-shaving, this year’s flagship event includes children’s crafts, an online auction, face painting, local mascots, and Miss North Dakota.

Join us today or support the cause with your donation.

The Kupper Automotive Drives Hope event will be held today, March 8 in the Honda Showroom at Bismarck Motor Company located at 1100 NE 57th Ave. in Bismarck, ND.

Nearly 40 participants, both adults and kids, will be shaving their heads to raise money to support local families dealing with childhood cancer and to help fund pediatric cancer research. The head-shaving will start at 2 p.m., and the event is open to the public.

Visit the event’s fundraising page at  where you can view the participants, teams, or make a donation.

Tonight is the 5th annual Guns N’ Hoses event – a Brave the Shave event where law enforcement officers (guns) and firefighters (hoses) face off to raise money and get their heads shaved to support families dealing with childhood cancer and to help fund pediatric cancer research.

For the past four years, it has been a friendly rivalry, and while it still is, this year one of the brave honorees is one of their own.

Last March, shortly after the Brave the Shave events ended, Levi Gartner, the 1-year-old son of Bismarck firefighter Joe Gartner was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. “The day we found out, our world just crashed down around us,” Joe says. “My wife and I had been very active with Brave the Shave and other charities, and we couldn’t help but ask, ‘Why us? Why does something like this have to happen to the people who help others?’”

After Levi’s diagnosis, the Gartners spent eight-and-a-half months straight in Minneapolis while Levi underwent treatment. During that time, Joe’s brothers and sisters at the fire department took his shifts so he could be with his family. “If I could make it home to take a shift, I would, but that wasn’t very often,” Joe says. “Without their help, I probably wouldn’t even have a job right now. I will never be able to thank them enough, and I will always be in debt to them for allowing me to be with my son while he was so sick and going through treatment.”

Today, Levi has completed chemotherapy and is currently in his third round of immunotherapy, a treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Other than being fed through a feeding tube, Joe says Levi is a spunky, giggly 2-year-old boy who loves life.

Joe will be shaving his head at tonight’s Guns N’ Hoses event just as he has for the past several years, but says this year it means more than it ever has before. “When I first participated in the event five years ago, it was just about raising money to help others,” he says. “Today, it’s much more personal. Seeing my brothers and sisters and my law enforcement family come together to raise money not just for others, but for my son, touches my heart more than it ever has. It means a lot.”

Guns N’ Hoses begins at 6:30 p.m. at Imagine Home Center in Mandan, ND. It is open to the public and is a family event. Attend the event or donate to Team Guns or Team Hoses.