Johns Creek Stylist Shaving Heads for Cancer Research

In less than two weeks Sarah Shapiro is following her brother's lead and will be shaving her head bald in her own benefit for St. Baldrick's Foundation, which funds childhood cancer research.

"My brother raises money and shaves his head every March for St. Baldrick's and this year I thought 'wow, I should do that too,'" she said.

Bruce Hartman, an Alpharetta resident like his sister, has been going bald on purpose for the past seven years.

"Thankfully we don't have a personal connection other than hearing or reading about other people's sick children. It just felt like something I needed to do," Shapiro said of her decision to shave her head bald.

Rather than wait for someone else to host a benefit, she decided to hold her own at her restaurant, J's Southern Smoke in Cumming.

Anyone who wants to join the fundraiser can come by the restaurant on June 15 starting at 3 p.m. for a free buzz cut. Visit her benefit's website for an online donation form and to learn more about St. Baldrick's. Fourteen individual donors and 28 sponsors can be seen on the website as of this morning, June 4.

She grew her hair out and keeps it in a ponytail, which is an easy way to take care of your hair when taking care of two children.

"I had always planned to donate my hair but the idea of shaving my head just came to me in March. It will probably take a year to look normal again but money for children's cancer research is far more important than my hair looking good," Shapiro said.

Shapiro will do more than help raise money for St. Baldrick's Foundation by shaving her head bald. But she's clear on her reason for participating.

"I am doing this because every child deserves to grow up," Shapiro said.

She's also donating the hair that's cut off to Locks of Love.

She said her children are too young to understand what is going on, and they'll be with a babysitter during the event.

Sep Garami will be the hair stylist for the event. He and his mother own Shear Impressions, a salon in Johns Creek. Shapiro said he cuts her boys' and nieces' hair and "is an all around great guy."