134 Participants Braved the Shave at St. Baldrick’s Head-Shaving Event
On Saturday, March 18, New York-New York Hotel & Casino raised more than $220,000 to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation during its 14th annual head-shaving event and is expected to reach the goal of $300,000 as donations are still being received.
Throughout the day, 134 participants had their heads shaved by Las Vegas celebrities including cast members from shows such as Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil, FANTASY, Thunder From Down Under and Chippendales and performers including Donny Osmond and Piff The Magic Dragon amongst many others.
Highlights from this year’s fundraising effort include:
- John McManus, MGM Resorts’ Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary was named the largest St. Baldrick’s contributor in the United States. As a longtime St. Baldrick’s volunteer, McManus has raised over $2 million through his individual fundraising efforts.
- Notable shavees include the Baldrick Boys, who started participating 11 years ago when they were in elementary school; a woman from Michigan who made the impromptu decision to shave her head three hours before her son’s wedding; and participants as young as six years old.
- The culinary employees of New York-New York Hotel & Casino donated $20,000 to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist John Katsilometes was appointed a St. Baldrick’s Knight Commander at New York-New York Hotel & Casino for his continued support over the last decade.
- For the first time in the event’s history, a celebrity shaver braved the shave in support of St. Baldrick’s. Enoch Augustus Scott of Zombie Burlesque shed his locks with help from the cast of Chippendales.
- Las Vegas Aviators’ Spruce the Goose and The Aviator were in attendance to take photos and cheer on volunteers as they braved the shave.
- The all-day event was co-hosted by a variety of Las Vegas media personalities including JJ Snyder, Shawn Tempesta, Feven Kay, Jaclyn Marfuggi Caprio, Kayla Walker, Sammi Reeves, John Katsilometes and Mad Apple’s Harrison Greenbaum along with James Healey, Director of Hotel Operations at The Signature at MGM Grand.
Throughout the day, the biggest names in Las Vegas entertainment served as celebrity head-shavers, including:
- Donny Osmond
- Cast members from Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil
- Cast members from FANTASY
- Cast members from Thunder From Down Under
- Cast members from Chippendales
- Mervant Vera of America’s Got Talent Presents SUPERSTARS Live
- Enoch Augustus Scott of Zombie Burlesque
- Piff The Magic Dragon
- Melody Sweets
- Farrell Dillon
- Lioz
- Cast members from Magic Mike Live
- Cast members from ROUGE
- Cast members from Potted Potter
- Cast members of X Burlesque
- Cast members of X Country
New York-New York’s annual St. Baldrick’s day head-shaving event raises funds and awareness for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s efforts in the fight against childhood cancers. The funds generated at this event are pivotal in supporting research focused on improving treatment options and finding cures for all childhood cancers.
For more information, visit StBaldricks.org.
About NEW YORK-NEW YORK Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Inspired by the famous energy and landmarks of the iconic original, New York-New York offers all the excitement of the hotel’s namesake, from the thrilling Roller Coaster to tantalizing restaurants including Gallagher’s Steakhouse and Nine Fine Irishmen, an authentic pub offering the best of Irish drink, food and music.
In May 2022, New York-New York welcomed Mad Apple, a delicious new, wickedly fun Cirque du Soleil cocktail of music, comedy, magic and mayhem putting NYC nightlife under the Las Vegas lights. Located adjacent to The Park, New York-New York is home to a selection of Strip-front dining and retail destinations including a two-story flagship Hershey’s Chocolate World, Shake Shack and Tom’s Urban.
New York-New York is operated by MGM Resorts International. For more information and reservations, visit newyorknewyork.com, call toll free at (866) 815-4365, or find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
About St. Baldrick’s Foundation
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.
St. Baldrick’s coordinates its signature head-shaving events worldwide where participants collect pledges to shave their heads in solidarity with kids with cancer, raising money to fund research.
Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $127 million to support lifesaving research, making the Foundation the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants.
St. Baldrick’s funds are granted to some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts in the world and to younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow.
Funds awarded also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, and the new International Scholar grants train researchers to work in developing countries. For more information about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation please call 1.888.899.BALD or visit StBaldricks.org.