Thursday, October 1, 2026
The John W. Dodd Middle School held its second annual fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation last week, at which students and staff members volunteered to go bald, or close to it, to raise money for childhood cancer research. As of Monday, the Dodd community had raised $11,300, and will welcome further online donations for the next few weeks on the St. Baldrick’s website.
Most of the money was raised last month, in a variety of ways. Students and staff members led coin-collection drives, a thrift shop, bracelet and bake sales and raffles before and during the haircuts of 21 people on March 26. Of the volunteers, 17 had their heads shaved, including Dodd Principal Christopher Porciello, four teachers, four students and one of those student’s parents. Four had their hair trimmed.
Another fundraising initiative was the duct-taping of Porciello to a school hallway wall. Students purchased pieces of tape to contribute to the effort, which ultimately consumed 20 roles of tape.
Last year the school raised just over $9,000, and Porciello said that this year’s goal was $10,000.
St. Baldrick’s is the largest charitable funder of childhood cancer research grants in the U.S. All the money raised at Dodd will contribute to the hundreds of millions of dollars the nonprofit has given to medical facilities in hospitals around the world since 2005.
Andrew Abberton, 34, a resource room teacher at Dodd who has supported St. Baldrick’s since he attended Molloy University, shaved for the 17th time this year and helped organize the event. When Porciello asked him about the possibility of doing a mass haircutting event at Dodd, Abberton said, the community rallied behind the idea.
“I think the event is important because it involves the entire school community,” he said. “It’s an event that can be fun and lighthearted and very positive, and shows students the power of service and working together.”
Bridgette Moran, a permanent substitute teacher at the school, took part in the event for the first time this year’s event — and sacrificed most of her hair.
“I participated in the event in honor of some friends and family members who have or had cancer in their childhood or adulthood,” Moran said. “I always get compliments on how nice and healthy my hair is, so why not give the gift of my hair to a child who can make a beautiful wig out of it?”
Francheska Grullon, a school psychologist who also went bald, described hers and other donations as “a deeply meaningful and beautiful gesture” that helps support children who struggle with any of the various forms of pediatric cancer.
Lina Rivera Santana, a math and English teacher, credited Abberton as an inspiration for her to participate in this year’s event. Although not bald, she trimmed a significant portion of her long hair.
“I told Andrew that although I was not brave enough to shave my head, I would cut my hair, if that was ever a possibility,” Santana explained. “This year he made that a possibility. It was my honor to be able to honor my commitment and to raise awareness for this cause.”
Dodd school social worker Kenald Bernard, who also joined the ranks of the clean-shaven, praised the foundation and the school’s participation.
“Joining the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a powerful way to make a real difference, support kids fighting cancer, and be part of something bigger than yourself,” Bernard wrote to the Herald.
Abberton extended special thanks to the volunteers from Dodd and members of the Freeport High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, who helped run the program. And he thanked Trimz Barber Shop, a Freeport business whose barbers volunteered to cut or shave all the participants.
