Hair's to a good cause at Wauconda Community Shave

The chairs were filled and a line was out the door with people waiting to have their heads shaved Sunday during the 5th annual Wauconda Community Shave to benefit the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

The four-hour event, a fundraiser for the organization dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer, was held in a large tent on Murphy Street next to Middleton's on Main.

Volunteers collected financial pledges for the foundation in exchange for getting their heads shaved in a show of unity with children fighting cancer.

"We have 50-plus shavees," said Amanda Doud, one of the event's organizers. "It's always an emotional experience when you see the kids and the impact that it makes."

Several members of the Wauconda Police Department and Wauconda Fire Department had their heads shaved as they competed in the Battle of the Badges to see who could raise the most money.

"I'm really big on giving back," shavee Kim Kuzma said, watching as her long hair was cut off by her mother, Donna Byrne. "Childhood cancer has always been close to me. When I went to school in Wauconda, there were a couple of kids in my class who had cancer."

The shave, part of the weekend's Shamrock the Block 2017, had a fundraising goal of $30,000. The event also featured music and food, a run around Bangs Lake, a St. Patrick's Day Parade, a Leprechaun Plunge and the Wheelmen's annual St. Patrick's Day bike ride.