Wake Forest Baseball to Participate in BaseBald through St. Baldrick's Foundation
WFU baseball players will have their heads shaved following their March 17 game at NC State
March 8, 2012
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest baseball team will be participating in BaseBald through the St. Baldrick's Foundation on March 17 when the Demon Deacons head to Raleigh to play NC State at 2 p.m. at Doak Field at Dail Park.
BaseBald is a program designed to fund critical childhood cancer research so that children diagnosed with cancer are promised a cure that will allow them to live full and healthy lives.
Started by the North Carolina baseball team in 2007, players rallied to help their 18-year old teammate recently diagnosed with brain cancer, Chase Jones, by shaving their heads. By doing so, they endeavored to help all pediatric cancer patients by raising funds for childhood cancer research.
Jones, who is now the BaseBald program coordinator, survived brain cancer and recently came to Wake Forest to speak to the baseball team.
"This is the first year that we've done BaseBald," said Jones. "The fact that two major ACC programs are taking this event and embracing it, it will definitely be the biggest event we've had, ever. I think it's going to be a huge day. College baseball players can make a difference in the lives of kid's with cancer, and I'm a product of that."
Jones reached out to Wake Forest head baseball coach Tom Walter to see if the Deacon squad would like to be involved. After some brainstorming, Walter decided to call NC State head coach Elliott Avent.
"St. Baldrick's is historically the halfway point between St. Patty's Days," said Walter. "I told Chase we should do something with NC State on St. Patty's Day. Elliott Avent jumped on board immediately because he's a first-class guy and we have a great relationship, and it just ran from there."
Walter, who donated a kidney to freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan last February, is no stranger to giving back and is excited that the Wake Forest baseball program can take part in this event.
"St. Baldrick's is an amazing organization, and I just have so much respect for Chase Jones - not just for the adversity that he has overcome, but for the man that he is," said Walter. "We're just very proud to be involved with this event."
As of March 8 at 12 p.m., BaseBald has raised over $60,000 in 2012 alone. The event itself has raised more than $14,000, while the Wake Forest baseball team has raised more than $4,000 since beginning to raise funds just on Monday.
Participating members of the Wake Forest baseball team are currently accepting support donations and will have their heads shaved following the game against the Wolfpack. You can find the event page at http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/wakencsu and you can find the Wake Forest team page at http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/77564/2012.
In addition to supporting BaseBald through event, team and player donations, you may also do so by bidding on game-worn Wake Forest baseball jerseys. The team will be wearing gold uniforms against NC State on March 17, and those jerseys will be auctioned off with the proceeds also going to the St. Baldrick's Foundation.
For more information on St. Baldrick's Foundation, please go the foundation website at http://www.stbaldricks.org/.
Ways to Support BaseBald - The head-shaving event for life-saving childhood cancer research
- Come to the game - Wake Forest at NC State, March 17, 2 p.m.
- Donate to the event, one of the teams or a specific player
- Bid on game-worn jerseys that will be auctioned off
- Follow BaseBald on Twitter @BaseBald_SBF
