After Saturday’s baseball game, Nick Denes Field will host Omega Phi Alpha sorority’s annual St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser.

St. Baldrick’s is a foundation that raises money for childhood cancer research. 

Bardstown senior and OPA committee head chair for mental health, Ashley Gamlin, planned the event.

“People come to show support and they shave their heads,” Gamlin said, adding that each participant is encouraged to raise $50 for the event.

Instead of having their heads shaved, Gamlin said, some people will have eight or more inches of their hair cut off. 

“It’s just to show support for the kids who don’t have hair,” she said. 

Gamlin said that shaved hair is too short to be used once it is removed, but hair at least eight inches long will be donated. 

“If girls cut their hair, we send it to the organization of our choice,” Gamlin said, adding that the hair will go either to Locks of Love or Pantene.

Gamlin became involved with St. Baldrick’s because two of her friends have had cancer. 

“I was with both of those friends when they went through their time so it just hits home to me,” she said.

OPA has already met its $10,000 goal, Gamlin said, but will still continue to take donations. 

“We are going to try to go above and beyond the goal,” she said.

Tompkinsville senior Gabbi Hagan, collected $10,000 for the fundraiser by herself.

“I started raising money last year like the day after Saint Baldrick’s,” Hagan said.

She said she tried to complete the same goal last year but didn’t have enough time to raise the amount she wanted.

“I set a goal of $10,000 the last time I did it and I only raised like $3,700 because I didn’t find out about it until like the month before but this year I set that goal again.”

She said the funds she has gathered were raised mostly with social media. Hagan said she also plans to get her head shaved at Saturday’s event.

This isn’t her first time shaving her head for St. Baldrick’s. Two years ago, she shaved off her locks for the charity. 

“My hair will grow back and that’s the least I feel like I can do is raise money and shaving your head’s not that big of a deal,” she said. 

Hagan said she learned about St. Baldrick’s through OPA. 

“I just thought it was a really good cause because everybody knows people personally that have been affected by cancer,” she said.