This year’s effort saw more than a dozen participants shave their heads or donate their locks to support patient-care programs at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo and garnered $1,600 more than last year’s event.

“It shows how much the support for this has grown within our community,” said event organizer and SCCS teacher Jessica Kardashian, who notes the district’s Knights Against Cancer crew worked hard to spread word of the event and get people involved.

“I was holding a goal of a hope for $4,000 and our participant and our community far exceeded my goal. I couldn’t be prouder of what our students accomplished.”

The fundraising event took place in the auditorium and featured a braiding station, video, and a Kahoot game. The fun community-building event concluded with an impromptu sing-a-long to “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ by Journey. Knights Against Cancer members spent time setting up and facilitating the event. Emcee was Julia Hill with Andrea Olsen, Adriana Rosati and Stevie Cook volunteering at the hair-braiding station. To the students’ delight, Superintendent Todd Crandall underwent a head-shaving while high school Principal Tom Buczkowski stepped up to wield some clippers for a good cause. Three girls — a fifth-grader, a sixth-grader, and a seventh-grader — stepped up and went completely bald for the cause.

Gianna Grabias is seen after getting her hair cut.

Local stylist Deb Michalak, of the Cutting Crew salon in Fredonia, volunteered her hair-cutting services again this year along with Kelsie Kucharski, Jenna Coghlan, Daisy Hewitt and Bri Castro, all Career & Technical Education students in the cosmetology program via Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.

“We really appreciate the faculty, parents, students and community members who attended, allowed their children to participate or donated themselves,” said Kardashian. “I am already looking forward to next year’s Bald for Bucks. It’s incredible to see what we can accomplish through teamwork and Black Knight Pride.”

Top fund-raisers: Students Taylor Nehrbass ($553), Steven Jock ($523) and Kris Herrmann ($520) raised nearly $1,600 themselves. Other top participants are: Alyssa Castle $186; Nia Nephew $143; Curtis Comello- $300; Emily Purdy $98; Gianna Grabias $40.50; Aubrey Domres $426.95; Cassidy Westbrook $363; Emma Gretschmann- $124; Derek Wicks $85; McKenzie Taggart $57.50; Kaitlynn Myers $78; Brianna Nehrbass $237; Kristen Wielgasz $110; Jade Bouvier $40; Julia Hill $60; teacher Jessica Kardashian $122.05.

Silver Creek students pose for a photo.