Ogden junior high raises more than $7,000 for head-shaving cancer charity
Cory Ortiz, Ian Burkley, Raquel Juarez, Eric Wilkes, Gracie Manning and Halie Vaughn (left-right from top) all had their heads shaved during the St. Baldrick's fundraiser at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Fifteen students and staff initially signed up to have their heads shaved as the school raised over $7,000 for cancer research.
Cory Ortiz smiles as his head is shaved during the St. Baldrick's fundraiser at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Ortiz, an engineering teacher at the school, organized the fundraiser which encourages people to shave their heads as a way to raise money for children's cancer research.
Raquel Juarez screams as she feels where her foot-long hair used to be during the St. Baldrick's fundraiser at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Juarez, a freshman at Higland, had her locks cut off before completely shaving her head during the cancer research fundraiser.
Vice Principal Halie Vaughan talks to students after having her head shaved at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Fifteen students and staff initially signed up to have their heads shaved as the school raised over $7,000 for cancer research.
Raquel Juarez and Hunter Jones feel one another's newly shaved heads at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Fifteen students and staff initially signed up to have their heads shaved as the school raised over $7,000 for cancer research.
Raquel Juarez shows off for her classmates in the gym before getting her head shaved at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016.
OGDEN — The couple that shaves together, stays together. Hunter Jones and Raquel Juarez both have long, luxurious hair.
Make that “had.”
The two ninth graders at Highland Junior High School have been an item since January — a veritable golden wedding anniversary when measured in junior-high years. On Friday afternoon, the couple joined about a dozen other students and faculty at the school who shaved their heads for charity.
It was all part of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving event at the school. Organized by first-year engineering teacher Cory Ortiz, the event is part of a national movement that raises money to fight childhood cancers.
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Cory Ortiz, Ian Burkley, Raquel Juarez, Eric Wilkes, Gracie Manning and Halie Vaughn (left-right from top) all had their heads shaved during the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Fifteen students and staff initially signed up to have their heads shaved as the school raised over $7,000 for cancer research.
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Cory Ortiz smiles as his head is shaved during the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Ortiz, an engineering teacher at the school, organized the fundraiser which encourages people to shave their heads as a way to raise money for children’s cancer research.
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Raquel Juarez screams as she feels where her foot-long hair used to be during the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Juarez, a freshman at Higland, had her locks cut off before completely shaving her head during the cancer research fundraiser.
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Vice Principal Halie Vaughan talks to students after having her head shaved at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Fifteen students and staff initially signed up to have their heads shaved as the school raised over $7,000 for cancer research.
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Raquel Juarez and Hunter Jones feel one another’s newly shaved heads at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016. Fifteen students and staff initially signed up to have their heads shaved as the school raised over $7,000 for cancer research.
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Raquel Juarez shows off for her classmates in the gym before getting her head shaved at Highland Junior High on Friday, May 13, 2016.
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Ortiz has been participating in this yearly head-shaving ritual since he was in junior high. In 2012, he and his girlfriend (now his wife) both shaved their heads for charity, and attended senior prom together — bald. Ortiz has been organizing these events for the last four or five years.
“I get one haircut a year,” he said. “In between, there’s lots of shag going on.”
According to Ortiz, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation started as a St. Patrick’s Day dare. Historically, it’s held in March, around that holiday, but events can be organized at any time of the year.
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When Ortiz first got involved with the foundation, he didn’t know anybody with cancer. Since then, some of his family members have succumbed to the disease. Ortiz says he just wants to teach his students to think about others.
“Service is really important to me — making sure these kids know there’s more to the world than them,” he said.
Hunter, whose hair hung down to the middle of his back, had been growing it for two years.
“I love my hair,” he said. “But it’s for a good cause.”
His girlfriend, Raquel, was first to sign up.
“I know that a lot of kids who have cancer lose their hair, and they have no choice,” she said. “I’m doing this to show them that hair is not that big of a deal.”
Indeed, just before the event, Raquel confessed she was less concerned about her own hair loss than with Hunter’s.
“I like his hair,” she said, running a hand through it.
Hunter raised more than $800 for the cause. Raquel added another $67.
Ortiz says he’s been blown away by the generosity of these young people who have so little themselves.
“This is a high-poverty school,” he said. “Seeing how generous the students are is just amazing.”
During Friday’s head-shaving assembly in the gymnasium, students passed a cup around the bleachers, raising even more money.
“It was hard for me at first, seeing these kids donate so much when I know they don’t have that much,” Ortiz said. “But I also know they need that experience of giving.”
Laurelai Bunker, an eighth grader, said she had no problem cutting off her long hair.
“This is important,” she said. “I lost a family member to cancer.”
Halie Vaughan, vice-principal at Highland Junior High, waited her turn to have her head shorn.
“The kids asked me if I would,” she said. “I told them, ‘Raise $5,000, and I’ll do it.’ I’ve already picked out a bunch of scarves, because I knew they’d raise it.”
As of Friday, the school had raised well over its $5,000 goal. Ortiz says the preliminary count is $7,442 raised for charity.
Treva Knight, the school’s attendance secretary, decided at the last minute to join in on the fun. She hadn’t even told her husband and two teenage daughters she was doing it; they’d find out that evening when she got home.
So, why did Knight do it?
“My mom passed away from cancer, and I’ve had other relative pass away,” she said. “I wanted to show my support.”
Day Thomas-Smith, the instructional coach at the school, raised $1,531 — more than any other participant. She downplayed her new appearance.
“A kid is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes,” Thomas-Smith said. Then, rubbing her stubble, she added: “This is not a sacrifice at all.”
Although 15 students, faculty and staff members signed up to shave their heads on Friday, by the end of the event, a number of other students were calling their parents, seeking permission to lose their hair for charity.
“It was incredible,” Ortiz said. “Obviously the administration was chatting with parents to make sure it was legitimate, but we probably had another 15 kids shave their heads. They were still shaving heads when school ended and kids started leaving.”
Ortiz said one parent did refuse to give permission for her daughter to shave her head.
“The girl was a little bummed that she couldn’t shave it,” Ortiz said. “But then, she didn’t want to go home and be in trouble.”
Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272, or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SEMarkSaal.
