Cancer. It’s a word that has become far too much a part of our culture’s normal conversation.  If you’re reading this there’s a good possibility that your life has been touched by this in one form or another.  Maybe you’ve lost a grandparent, or held a friend or child’s hand through treatment.   Cancer is scary, its mysterious, its ugly.  But for all the ugliness and pain that is associated with this word there is another word that goes along with it and that is Hope.  Cancer causes us to hope.  To hope that life will continue, that the battle will be won, that a cure will be found, that there is something bigger than this ugliness.  It’s the reason there are walks and organizations and head-shaving events and new research grants being created each year. It was hope that I got to photograph tonight.

St. Baldrick’s is an organization that funds childhood cancer research grants through money raised by volunteers.  Individuals or teams host Shavee events in which they collect money in return for them shaving their heads.  These events have raised over $117 million dollars to date.  To learn more about this phenomenal organization check out their website at http://www.stbaldricks.org.

Tonight I attended one of these events and got to witness hope in action as my friend Grace shaved her hair off for this cause.  But it wasn’t only Grace’s actions that spoke to this hope, but the love that surrounded her through the support of her family and friends who had donated money as pledges for this event and who bid on silent auction items.  Thank You Grace for this awesome opportunity to be part of the cause, and thank you to her friends and family who supported her in this and who gave to the cause.  And of course praise to our Heavenly Father who is the reason for any hope that we have, who’s Spirit moves in us the desire to do good, and to Jesus Christ who shows us what sacrificial love truly looks like.

Now for a few photos from tonight.