Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q announced that the North Carolina-based restaurant brand is once again supporting local St. Baldrick’s team, the Bald Entrepreneurs, during their 2011 fundraising efforts, which will contribute funds to research focused on eliminating childhood cancers.
The team at Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q will be providing fresh bar-b-q, side items, and crowd favorites—hush puppies and sweet tea—for the team’s post-shave party that will continue raising funds even after the day’s shave event. The Bald Entrepreneur team has grown so much over the past few years that they will be hosting their own event at The Factory in Wake Forest on Saturday, March 6, from noon-6:00 p.m., with the “After-Shave” party taking place from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The team’s theme for 2011 is “Going Bald So Kids Don’t Have To."
“Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q is happy to continue to be part of this most worthy cause. The Bald Entrepreneurs do an amazing job every year of serving others, and we are grateful to be able to support them in their work," says Richard Averitte, marketing director for Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q. “Each year this group sets new goals for their team and they are inspiring to everyone touched by their mission to help eliminate childhood cancers.”
The Bald Entrepreneurs have set a fundraising goal of $60,000. To assist The Bald Entrepreneurs with their fundraising, Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q will be donating 25 cents for each tweet that includes the hashtag “#BarBQforBaldricks” that is posted on Twitter on Saturday, March 5, 2011, from 12:01am.-11:59 p.m. EST.
To find out more or to donate to the Bald Entrepreneurs team, visit their official team page at http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/thefactory2011. Chris Wright, founder of the Bald Entrepreneurs team, provided strong statistics for supporting the group and its participation in the St. Baldrick’s program: between 2005 and 2009, St. Baldrick’s has issued nearly $42 million in research grants ($12 million in 2009 alone) and funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any other organization, except the U.S. government.
According to the St. Baldrick’s website, on March 17, 2000, three insurance executives Tim Kenny, John Bender, and Enda McDonnell turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. The three planned to raise "$17,000 on the 17th," recruiting 17 colleagues to raise $1,000 each to be shorn. Instead, the first St. Baldrick's event raised over $104,000.
