Hawthorn Mall of Vernon Hills welcomed the community to participate in its Rock the Bald with Hawthorn fundraiser on Saturday, March 23 to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity that funds childhood cancer research grants.
Ten volunteers, or “shavees,” were registered, as the event opened at noon in a festive setting on the mall’s lower level of H&M Court. Walk-ins were welcome and encouraged. The fundraiser goal was $12,000 with most of that raised when shaving started. The Vernon Hills Police Department was a top team. See the list and fundraising totals at https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/13845/2024.
The event included a leprechaun visit by Erin Go Bragh, a lucky green character who took photo opportunities with oversized fun scissors (not used for shaving).
Rock the Bald has been an annual success for several years in modified formats, said James Ruiz, the mall’s business development and marketing coordinator. Ruiz was also a shavee, lead organizer, and team captain.
“COVID was a really interesting time, even though we did an online Rock the Bald event which was amazing, and so bringing it back in person is so, so great,” Ruiz said.
Hawthorn, as a mall, brings the community together, said Ruiz, who was raised in Mundelein and is of the 2015 Class of Mundelein High School.
“I love this mall, this is actually my childhood mall,” Ruiz said. “I’ve been coming here ever since I was a kid.
“I’ve worked here actually for seven years and so getting to grow up and then eventually work here and grow into this position has been amazing,” Ruiz said. “The community of Vernon Hills is great.”
Jenna Velelekos, Hawthorn’s marketing director, said, “At Hawthorn, because we are such an integral part of the Vernon Hills community, we look for every possible way to support our shoppers and guests who are also our neighbors and friends.
“By participating in the St. Baldrick’s event once again this year, we are helping to raise funds for childhood cancer research and shining a light on this insidious disease and its overwhelming impact on families with affected children,” Velelekos said, adding the community was encouraged to join Hawthorn, “in a show of support for childhood cancer victims.”
The top individual fundraiser this year was returning shavee Hannah Lampinen of Oak Creek, Wisconsin who raised nearly $5,000 as of Sunday, March 24. Lampinen received a medal on a ribbon from friendly mascot Erin Go Bragh.
“I first did it my freshman year of college, it seemed like an opportunity to do something good for other people and I got a great experience and my friends and family have supported me this year which I’m very grateful for,” Lampinen said. “And all the money goes to pediatric cancer research so shaving my head is a very small price to pay to find cures for kids.”
Young dancers with the O’Hare School of Irish Dance of Lake Bluff performed on stage including Carson Charnow, 6, a kindergartner from Mundelein. Carson’s family was in the audience to support the dancers.
“Oh my gosh, I am so proud of Carson,” said Carson’s mother Caitlin Charnow, a former youth Irish dancer and now a teacher assistant at the dance school. “And this is almost his second year of dancing, he started two summers ago.
“He has been loving dancing with the O’Hare School of Irish Dance,” Caitlin Charnow added about Carson.
Returning this year to personally shave participants were Hawthorn Mall’s Tricoci Salon & Spa stylists Marisa Sneider of Round Lake Park and Ashley D’Amico of Long Grove.
“It’s so much fun,” D’Amico said. “We love doing it every year.
“It’s such a great cause to support,” D’Amico added about St. Baldrick’s. “So many great people coming out and supporting it for sure.”
Sneider said to future shavees considering the fundraiser experience, “I think everybody should try it once at least for sure.”
Shavee Don Higginbottom of Lindenhurst was a returning participant who raised $100.
“It’s pretty important,” to take part in the Hawthorn fundraiser routinely, Higginbottom said.
March 23 was the first time that Steve Kitzman of Gurnee took part in a St. Baldrick’s fundraiser.
“What I felt is, I’ve seen this done so many times, I kind of figured I want to give back,” Kitzman said. “I want to give back for the kids because I want to see them having an awesome future.”
Steve’s wife Eve Kitzman sat in the audience front row while Eve’s spouse became a first time shavee.
“This is for the kids,” Eve Kitzman said about Steve’s commitment. “I’m proud of him.”
