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Get Muddy in 2020
You need to get out!!! We all do! How about a little sun, some exercise, and a ton of fun at this year’s Muddy 4 A Cause! There are challenges and entertainment for all ages! Have a blast conquering the five mile obstacle course mud run with 16 amazing obstacles in beautiful Medora, ND!! Race it, Run it, Walk it, or just Watch it! Kids will be able to tackle their own KIDS COURSE, new this year!
Be inspired to keep going like never before with the stories of kids in ND fighting their own very personal and very important battle against cancer. All proceeds will benefit Brave the Shave’s efforts in supporting these families and finding a cure. There are competitive and non-competitive divisions – a slot for everyone! Register NOW!!!
So get Muddy 4 A Cause on Saturday, August 15th!
Brave the Shave-a-thon
 Hey everyone! We are so excited to be able to tell you about a partnership we have formed with KFYR TV to put on a Brave the Shave-a-Thon! What is a Brave the Shave-a-Thon you ask? Well, it’s just the coolest thing to ever happen!As we thought about what it was we could do for the community and for our families, we reached out to KFYR and they stepped up in a BIG way. So, on Tuesday, April 28th, they will be holding an on-line, real-time effort to bring awareness to Brave the Shave, our families and the research we support. At the same time, we are going to have some fun on Facebook and Youtube. Scott Wild will be hosting a real time trivia tour. This will be a family friendly time and we have a few things we would like you to do to get started: 1. Head Shaving Videos on Facebook – While this won’t take the place of our main event (which is being rescheduled for September 19th) we would love to see some people shaving their heads and show these on air at on the 28th. So, do your best job shaving safely at home. Watch the Guthmillers. They make it look easy! Make it personal, funny or original in any way you want. 2. Let all your friends and supporters know when you plan to shave and send them to your donation page so you can hit your goal! People love to donate to a worthy cause, so put on your fundraising hats and have fun with it! Whatever event you signed up for is fine, there’s no need for you to change anything there. 3. KFYR will use some of the videos from Facebook and share them on air on the 28th. 4. Tune in to your local NBC Station, our Facebook site or YouTube on the 28th starting at 8 AM and help us spread a little joy and fun in this difficult time. We may not be able to get together in person until our re-scheduled Flagship event on Saturday, September 19th, but that doesn’t mean these families are not in need of your help now. The need us more now than ever! We so appreciate your efforts during this time. Take care and talk to you soon. |
50 Reasons to Care
We are less than two months away from the Brave the Shave Flagship Event on April 4th. As we prepare, it’s nice to see first hand why we care so much. So, for each of the next 50 days, we will be sharing on our Facebook page a photo and a story of a child that has been impacted by cancer. Meet Zach Deem and his family from Fargo.
In June of 2016, 14-year-old Zach was your typical teen getting a good start to his summer. After several days of high fevers, doctors diagnosed him with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).
After a brutal three-and-a-half year treatment course, Zach took his last oral chemo on October 10, 2019. Throughout it all, Zach has always kept a positive frame of mind. In his free time he loves to draw and in the future he may seek a career as a mechanic. To follow the rest of our kids go to our Facebook page.
Our stories do not always have happy endings, but they are stories of hope, resilience and deep love. We hope that you find these stories hopeful and give you a reason to care and to join us. You can also sign up for one of our events on our website. And thank you for caring.
Research Works!
| Brave the Shave helps kids with cancer and their families both emotionally and financially. We also formed a partnership with the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation to support cutting edge research. The B+ Foundation was created by Joe McDonough after he lost his 14 year old son Andrew to cancer. Since that time Joe has established a world class children’s cancer research effort. Please take five minutes and listen to Joe talk about some of the incredible research developments. Remember, it’s your participation and support that have made this possible and we thank you. |
Holiday Remembrance
The holidays naturally bring about reflection. As we reflect on this past year, it’s marked with both loss and triumph, but most off all, gratitude. The courage of our kids. The unwavering strength of our families. The generosity of the community.
We honor those kids who have fought so bravely but have passed. Hunter Seifert of Bismarck was diagnosed with Rhabdomyocarcoma when he was just 14 years old. After two years of his brave fight, sadly he passed away in February. Hunter is one of five honorees we lost to cancer this year. To say that the loss is devastating does not do it justice. We will always remember them. We will use their resolve to keep moving forward in a way that would make them proud and do justice to their fight.
With this loss came light. This year we provided more than $200,000 in support to area families in need. We recently provided a blitz of Christmas support to all of our families, paying monthly bills so they could buy gifts for their children. Additionally, your support has paid mortgages, utility bills, vehicle payments, and bought cars, provided gas and lodging, established air purification systems in homes, and so much more.
The gratitude our families express in the face of the unthinkable fuels us and inspires us to do more. We thank you for all you have done for Brave the Shave.
As always, your support is never expected, but it is greatly appreciated. If you’d like to provide a gift this holiday season, we encourage you to click the donate link below.
New Year from our brave families to yours.
Have a Lovely Day
Have a lovely day! That was Cully Oothoudt’s favorite saying and we want to take a moment to remind you, without asking anything, to have a lovely day. Sometimes that can be hard to remember. We try to remind ourselves that we should be grateful. Yet, as we move through our days it is easy to lose track of what is important.
So today we just want to encourage you to reach out to somebody you care about, reach out to someone you love or even to someone you just met for the first time and remind them to have a lovely day. While Cully can’t be here to remind us every day, we know that he would want us to remember, so we’ve attached a short “have a lovely day” from Cully.
The world could use a lot more of those reminders. Let this be one. If you want to hear more of Cully’s story you can watch a video of Taner Ohlsen and Scott Oothoudt talking about Cully.
Have a lovely day!
Wahpeton Family Experiences the Worst of Humanity and the Best of Humanity Amidst Cancer Diagnosis
Connie Petermann has never been one to rely on others or easily accept help. That’s why when an acquaintance wanted to hold a benefit for Connie’s 16 year-old son Jacob, who had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, she respectfully declined. The acquaintance then came back a couple weeks later and told Connie that several people want to do this for the Petermann family, they would handle all of the details, and they would really like Connie’s blessing to move forward. Connie relented and plans were put in motion. The benefit consisted of a basketball tournament, jambalaya feed, silent auction, and bake sale. It lasted all day and there was never a dull moment.
After the benefit, a small amount of money was handed over to Connie from the bake sale and silent auction, but the majority of funds were never turned over. Connie contacted the person who coordinated the benefit and only received excuses and delays. After a period of time, a community member contacted the Wahpeton Police Department, who then started an investigation. The police investigation has not reported an amount of money that is missing, but has said that it is believed to be “significant.” Connie looks back on it and realizes she should have seen red flags. The woman who approached her was a person that Connie didn’t know well, yet the woman was so insistent on helping the family. “That’s what makes this so hurtful,” said Connie. “I prayed for weeks that this was just a mix-up and the money would be there. I never dreamed someone could be so evil as to steal from a sick child.”
When word spread about what had happened to the Petermann family, Connie was surrounded by a community of people whose intentions were pure and they were determined to right the wrong that had been done. The Wahpeton community did a drive to raise some of the missing funds and unbelievably raised $13,000 in just three hours! With the support of their community and the police department now handling the investigation, the Petermanns are able to focus on what is most important; fully supporting Jacob and his needs. Jacob is looking forward to a clear check-up in December when the family again goes to Minneapolis for x-rays and scans. Jacob’s biggest hurdle going forward is learning to walk with his new prosthetic. It is an ottobock c-leg with a microprocessor in the knee to help with a person’s own unique gait. With delays due to unexpected surgeries, receiving the prosthetic is an important step in his recovery process. In September and October, Jacob had two lung surgeries to remove nodules. Learning to walk with the prosthetic is the number one goal at this point because it will give Jacob much more freedom and confidence. As any teenager does, Jacob just wants to return to being an independent, young adult. This includes suiting up as number 34 for the Wahpeton Huskies basketball team. Have a fun and successful season, Jacob! And most importantly, a healthy one.
Basin Electric supporting Brave the Shave in its first independent year
Eleven years ago, Basin Electric supported a head-shaving event to raise money for a national pediatric cancer research organization. Throughout the years, it has grown by leaps and bounds, moving from the board room at Basin Electric’s headquarters to a packed event at the Bismarck YMCA and beyond Bismarck to locations across North Dakota, South Dakota, and even into Wyoming.
The focus of support has expanded over the years, moving away from solely childhood cancer research to a more local approach with the start of the Brave the Shave Family Fund, which supports area families with the many added expenses that accompany a childhood cancer diagnosis, while continuing support for research.
This year, Brave the Shave has undergone another exciting change. In January 2018, it ventured out on its own, receiving its federal IRS designation as a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt charity and is now independent of Basin Electric.
Basin Electric still supports this worthy cause, recently pledging $150,000 over the next three years. And though Brave the Shave is now an independent charity, Basin Electric employees are still actively involved in Brave the Shave and its activities, whether it’s volunteering their time, donating to their favorite individual shaving, or shaving their own heads, just as they have done in the past.
Following is a list of Basin Electric employee-led teams:
- Antelope Valley Station Chrome Domes
- Basin Electric Headquarters team
- Dry Fork Station team
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, local 1593 (Mercer County)
- Leland Olds Station team, Gone in 60 Seconds
- Wheatland, Wyoming team
“Basin Electric is proud to support Brave the Shave and congratulate it on stepping out on its own,” says Curt Pearson, Basin Electric’s director of communications and creative services. “We urge other area businesses to show their support for this very worthy charity that helps so many families during an extremely challenging time.”
And the winner is …
Zach Krivoruchka is the proud winner of a brand-new pontoon courtesy of Moritz Sport and Marine, Brave the Shave, and Fishin’ for the Cure’s first-ever pontoon raffle.
Krivoruchka bought just one $25 raffle ticket when approached by his girlfriend’s dad, who was participating in the Fishin’ for the Cure tournament.
“My younger brother had a brain tumor so I always try to support causes like this,” he says.
When he got the call that he won, Krivoruchka says he didn’t believe it, thinking it was “a buddy just messing with me. After I hung up, I called the guy back and found out I really did win it. I was pretty excited.”
In all, the raffle brought in $18,482, which will be split between Brave the Shave and Fishin’ for the Cure, all of it going toward childhood cancer research.
“It’s really good to hear that the raffle raised so much money,” Krivoruchka says. “It’s a great cause that’s close to my heart.”
His advice for those considering supporting similar causes by buying raffle tickets? “Buy one. You never know what could happen. You just might get lucky!”