Brave A Shave fosters community, rallies support

The spirit of giving comes alive during the holiday season with the annual tradition of Brave-A-Shave. 

A lesson in being humble, students participated in the yearly practice of shaving their heads to donate hair and funding to those undergoing cancer treatment last Friday. Hair is a major characteristic to many, and shaving their heads is equivalent to losing a piece of themselves both physically and mentally. From warmth to fashion, hair serves many purposes on our heads. The sweeping life changes that originate from cancer therapy can drastically affect daily life, and hair loss is just one of those things. The willingness to have one’s head shaved is not only a lesson in humility, it also helps develop wigs for those who have lost their hair while undergoing treatment. Spreading awareness and rallying support for the disease is the primary objective of Brave-a-Shave.

Despite many people not being able to donate hair due to the minimum ponytail length of 8 inches, Brave-A-Shave invites anyone who wishes to raise awareness for the cause. In addition to just donating hair, participants ask friends and family for contributions before shaving their heads to rally funding for donation to cancer foundations. Being able to include anyone who wishes to support those less fortunate is one of the things that make Brave-A-Shave so remarkable. “Since they can’t use my hair [I helped] get money to help kids with cancer along with bringing awareness to it and how it can really happen to anyone,” said Loewe.

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Originally started as a student project 9 years ago, Brave-A-Shave quickly blossomed into a time honored tradition of Blue Springs High School. The capacity to both foster community and back a charitable cause simultaneously is what helps Brave-A-Shave to be the righteous event it is today. Student created, organized, and led, BAS stands as a testament to Blue Springs High School’s drive to care for those in need.