Going bald to kick cancer

Pacific Crest Academy Catholic School teacher Angela Dasso took the lead at a fundraising event to conquer childhood cancer by shaving her head after a team of students and community members raised nearly $16,000.

The Camas school now has nine students with shaved heads – eight boys and one girl. In addition, middle school teacher Dasso no longer has a head full of thick, shiny black hair.

Last fall, Dasso challenged her students to raise $1,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. In return, she would shave her head.

The students rallied and raised money through bake sales and homework passes where they purchased the right to forego homework for a night. They also asked family and friends for donations. They hit the $1,000 goal quickly, then surpassed it.

Dasso shaved her head in late January and joined about a dozen other men and women from as far away as Olympia who also shaved their heads after raising money for St. Baldrick’s. On the day of the event, held in east Vancouver, there was also a pancake breakfast, face painting, games, raffles and a live band.

By the end of the day, a total of nearly $16,000 had been raised.

Dasso came up with the idea that brought together and inspired the entire school after reading blogs about children with cancer.

The Pacific Crest Academy students who shaved their heads for the fundraiser were Jerrica Pachl, Andrew Pachl, Jared King, Tony Jackson, Sam Jackson, Brett Filuk, Blake Deringer, Nolan Purkerson and Ian Urias. Pacific Crest Academy dads who shaved for the cause were Juan Urias, Mark Jackson and Aaron Brotherton.