The annual Shave for the Brave event is tonight at the Reno Ballroom in Downtown Reno. It starts at 5:30 p.m. The Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation is once again hosting the St. Baldricks Foundation event. Supporters have been fundraising for months and for some, the cause is a very personal one.
"I was diagnosed in 2016 at 14 years old, with brain and spine cancer" said UNR Sophomore Emma Johnson. "I beat it in 2019 and then I was rediagnosed in 2020 and officially beat it in December."
Johnson has been working to raise funds and awareness on campus, and the response has been a big one; the campus Greek System alone has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the cause.
"I try to get the word out as much as I can," she said. "We had a great turnout at Greek Night last week and there's a huge turnout expected for Friday so I'm very excited about it."
More than 150 people will be shaving their heads for the cause, but that's not the only way to show support for children's cancer research.
"It's for everyone," Johnson said. "If you don't want to shave your head, you can always donate money, and even if you can't do that, come to the event have fun, spread awareness for it."
The Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation hopes to raise $150,000 this year.
