‘Rock the Bald’ to fight childhood cancer: Riverhead’s Long Ireland Beer Co. to host its fifth St. Baldrick’s Day shaving event

Have you got what it takes to “Rock the Bald?”

St. Baldrick’s Day returns to Long Ireland Beer Company in Riverhead this year after a two-year hiatus. 

The brewery will host its fifth shaving event to raise money for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds research grants to fight childhood cancer. 

Volunteer shavees raise money through individual donations and sponsorships, then sit in a barber’s chair on the day of the big event, and, as  a crowd of supporters cheer them on, shed their locks for the cause.

Every shavee who raises at least $50 gets a St. Baldrick’s Day t-shirt and a free pint of Long Ireland beer.

It’s a terrific community event that brings people together for an inspiring goal, said Sheila Malone, general manager at Long Ireland Beer Company, and the organizer of the St. Baldrick’s Day shaving event at the Pulaski Street brewery. 

“Cancer has a way of making families that are battling it and struggling with it feel very alone,” Malone said. “They’re going through this horrific thing, and it’s a depressing time. 

“This event is a way to see that, hey, people in the community, they care about this. They care about what we’re going through,” Malone said. “And it’s just kind of like a light moment to step back and realize that there’s a lot of really good people in the world that care about this,” she said. “It gives you hope that supporting an organization like this could eventually lead to a real cure.” 

The shaving events “bring out so many amazing people that are all working towards this common goal.” 

Vinny Ferrara, owner of Rockabilly Barbers East in Stony Brook is “a great friend” and a supporter of Long Ireland, Malone said. For each of the shaving events she’s organized at the brewery, Vinny has brought his team of barbers who have volunteered their time to do the shaving. “They’ll be back again with us this year,” Malone said. 

One repeat shavee, Chris Devine, is an acoustic musician who often performs at Long Ireland and will be performing at this year’s event. 

The four shaving events at Long Ireland, which hosted its first event in 2019, have raised just over $72,000, Malone said. 

See photos from Long Ireland Beer Company’s first St. Baldrick’s shaving event.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-powered charity that funds more childhood cancer research grants than any other non-government organization in the United States.

The first St Baldrick’s shaving event took place 25 years ago.  St. Baldrick’s Foundation, established a few years later, has since raised more than $350 million in research grant funding. The organization raises funds for targeted research projects aimed at developing the best treatments for the various types of childhood cancers, which number more than a dozen. 

The St. Baldrick’s Day event at Long Ireland Beer Co. takes place March 29 from 4 to  9 p.m. To sign up for a shave, or to donate to the cause, visit the Long Ireland event page on the St. Baldrick’s Day website.