This Friday, May 2nd, Dakota Ridge High School will once again see a surge in the number of follicularly-challenged individuals wandering its hallways, with the culmination of its Second Annual Shave for the Cure. Last year, this fund-raiser generated over $8,400 for the American Cancer Society, and at a school-wide assembly, nine students and five faculty members, three of whom were female, all had their heads shaved in a tremendous show of solidarity with cancer patients everywhere.

This year, twelve staff members have already agreed to join the ranks of the hair-disadvantaged, should their specified monetary level be reached, and five students have thrown their coifs into the ring as well. This year's Cueball Crew includes such celebrated Dakota Ridge personalities as Mr. Dave Long ($5,000), Mr. Mark Sherman ($7,000) and school principal Dr. Jim Jelinek, who for $8,000 will permit an all-too-eager member of the student body to give him a mohawk. As of Sunday, April 27th, some $5,200 has already been raised, with a number of fund-raising events still to come.

Raffle tickets are being sold for $3.00 each, as are the official, uber-chic "Shave For The Cure '08" wristbands. Winners of the raffle on May 2nd will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to brandish the clippers themselves on one of the brave volunteers. Additionally, over the course of the next week, raffle tickets will be drawn, and the winners will each receive a gift bag generously donated by Starbucks. Though participants in the raffle drawing must be present at the assembly on May 2nd (see school website for more details) in order to win shearing rights, gift-bag winners need not be present to claim their delightfully coffee-themed prize.

Additionally, on Tuesday, April 29th, the Chick-Fil-A at Kipling and C-470 will be hosting a Dakota Ridge Spirit Night which will directly benefit the Shave for the Cure. Anyone interested in participating need merely to show up, buy tasty food, and tell the cashier they are there for the spirit night, and Chick-Fil-A will donate a certain percentage of their profits to the cause.

For those individuals who are not able to attend the festivities on May 2nd but would still like to contribute, donations are also gratefully accepted; tax receipts will be made available to all donors, and as all proceeds will go directly to the American Cancer Society, donations are entirely tax-deductible. Contributions can be mailed to:

Dakota Ridge High School
Attention: Diane Groskopf
13399 W. Coal Mine Ave.
Littleton, CO80127

All checks should be made out to Dakota Ridge High School. Any questions or comments concerning the Shave for the Cure should be sent to jellorelatedinjuries@yahoo.com.