Fundraising event, scalps go smoothly About 200 shave heads in solidarity with cancer patients in fundraiser BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer SCOTT FRIEDMAN Karen Dasilva, of Iselin, proudly gets her head shaved by J.R. Guzman, one of many volunteer barbers from the Main Street Barber Shop in downtown Woodbridge, at the first St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser at the Woodbridge Fire Department on March 30 in memory of Woodbridge firefighter Matthew Lokos, 22, who passed away in October. Dasilva and daughter Dawn were the only females to participate. Story, page 6. WOODBRIDGE - Approximately 200 men, women and children came out to shave their heads at the first annual St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraising event in memory of Woodbridge firefighter Matthew Lokos, 23, who passed away in October. "Matthew's parents and I discussed what we could do to honor Matthew," said Matthew's best friend, James Boelhower Sr., who has been aWoodbridge firefighter since 2000. "Matthew participated in the St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser for the past three years with the North Plainfield Fire Department." Lokos had been a career fireman with theWoodbridge Fire Department for three years and also a fireman with the Avenel Fire Department beforehand. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN DASILVA Top left: Mother and daughter Karen and Dawn Dasilva show off their new haircuts at the first annual St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraising event at the Woodbridge Fire Department on March 30 in memory of Woodbridge firefighter Matthew Lokos, 23, who passed away in October. Out of the 200 participants, the Dasilvas were the only females to take part in the event . "Our goal was to raise $20,000, but we [exceeded our goal] raising $57,502.49 and that does not count T-shirt, raffle, and food sales," said Boelhower, who organized the event with fellow firefighter Matthew Minkler. Employees of the Main Street Barber Shop in downtownWoodbridge volunteered their time on March 30 and set up shop at theWoodbridge Fire Department on School Street. While a DJ played music, Ward 1 Councilman Charles Kenny emceed the three-hour event. St. Baldrick's is the world's largest volunteer driven event for childhood cancer research. Thousands of volunteers shave their heads in solidarity with children who have been diagnosed with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family. The fundraiser started in 1999 when Tim Kenny challenged his friends John Bender and Enda McDonnell to find a way to give back to society. The three, all reinsurance executives, turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. The first St. Baldrick's event was held on March 17, 2000, and raised over $104,000. Since the first event in 2000, St. Baldrick's volunteers have raised over $34 million for lifesaving research. In 2007, St. Baldrick's events were hosted in 46 U.S. states, in addition to Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Themajority of shavees weremen; however, the shavees also included Karen and Dawn Dasilva, a mother and daughter team, over a dozen children, Councilman CharlesKenny,members of theWoodbridge Policemen's Benevolent Association, and members of the Avenel Fire Department, Colonia Fire Department, Edison Fire Department, Hopelawn Fire Department, Iselin Fire Department No. 9, Monroe Fire Department, Perth Amboy Fire Department, Port Reading Fire Department, Rahway Fire Department, andWoodbridge Fire Department. PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN Above:Art Lokos, father of the lateMatthew Lokos, 23, the firefighter whose death inspired the event, gets the first clipping at the first St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraising event at the Woodbridge Fire Department on March 30, in memory of Matthew, who passed away in October. Organizers plan to make the fundraiser an annual event. Below:Mary Kate Kilijanski (l-r), 14, her sister Caitlin, 12, and friend Randy Star, all of Edison, watch dad and Edison firefighter Philip Kilijanski get a funky new look. Left: Woodbridge volunteer firefighter Jeff Horvath is down to his last swipe before being completely bald. "My mom and I never shaved our heads before, and we weren't really nervous," said Dawn Dasilva. "Our hair will grow back, but it's different for kids with the illnesses. My mom usually has short, neck-length hair, and I usually keep with a militarystyle cut.We both let our hair grow in January when we decided to participate in the event." The mother and daughter team decided to participate in the event just because it is a great cause. "My mom is a cancer survivor, which makes you look at things differently," said Dawn. "Everyday stuff becomes valued rather than taken for granted. I hope that more females will participate in the future, seeing us do it. We definitely would do it again. We raised a total of $1,225 for the event." Barbers shaved all 16 inches of Bob Kucaba's brown hair. "I always had long hair," he said. "I did shave it once in 2000 for a new job and cut it four to five inches a few years ago, but grew my hair out ever since then." Kucaba, of Perth Amboy, found out about the St. Baldrick's event through a flier. "My neighbor said he would donate $100 and then we just went fromthere," he said. "I have raised at least $1,700." Dave Ricart, of Woodbridge, shaved 10 inches of his graying hair in honor of his daughter Dawn, who passed away from cancer. "I grew my hair for six to seven months for this event," he said. MikeMagda, 17, a senior atWoodbridge High School and a volunteer for theAvenel- Colonia First Aid Squad, said there was a little hesitation about shaving his head of short brown hair. "My mom [Donna] was the hesitation, because she has always had long hair," said Magda, who aspires to be a firefighter and work in law enforcement. "But this is a great cause, and I amgoing to continue participating in the event. I raised a total of $1,115 for the event." For more information about the St. Baldrick's Foundation, visit www.stbaldricks. org.