Wednesday, March 12, at CU Boulder turned out to be overcast, chilly, and blustery. Not the ideal day for an outdoor event. But nothing would deter the student committee for the St. Baldrick's shave day.

As they began to prepare the Dalton Trumbo Fountain courtyard for the event, the wind blew over chairs, scattered and swept flyers across the courtyard, and made it necessary to secure everything - logo banners, donation box, novelty items for sale, etc. - with an increasingly important roll of heavy-duty packing tape.

Hefty rocks borrowed from nearby landscaping secured the tarp floor and canopy lines. Some setbacks, to be sure, but with volunteer help and enthusiastic spirits, everything was settled, five chairs were placed center-stage beneath the canopy, and all was set for the 11 a.m. start.

Altogether, 118 people signed up to get their heads shaved - 13 of them female, and more than 40 walk-ups. Friends and passersby came to watch, applaud, and even contribute ($2,277 was collected on-site during the four-hour event). With online access via laptops, the committee tracked and posted hourly totals on a presentation pad "tote board." As of this writing, the CU Boulder shaving has exceeded its $15,000 goal with $16,036.47 (107%), and donations are still being received.

As for me, well, the original plan was to wait until my son, David, got out of class so he could lop off my ponytail (to be donated to Locks of Love). However, that would have been more than two hours into the event. I preferred to go in the first wave of five. First, because that's what I'd come to do, and second, I'd hoped to be seated while the audience was thin.

The longer I stood watching and waiting, the more anxious I became. More people gathered around the courtyard. A student film crew approached me. They were interested in me as an older woman participating; in their minds, bald young women would be more accepted since people practically expect college students to exhibit rebellious or outrageous behavior (my mother would tell you that I have not outgrown that phase!). They wanted to film me being shaved and interview me afterward. That got me really antsy.

Finally, my husband, Jim (God bless him!), texted David in class. On the pretext of a bathroom visit, David dashed from a nearby classroom building to the courtyard. While we waited for him, I signed in and my name came up shortly after David arrived. He hacked away at that ponytail to get the most hair possible. Really, did it matter that it left a patchy hole at the back of my head? The rest was coming off anyway, right?

After the ponytail was safely bagged, the stylist tackled the rest with her clippers. A traditional moment is to pause with a head half-shaved for a photo - it seems to be a favorite shot for shavees and their fans. However, my shaver had so much thick hair still to deal with, plus whatever mess was left in the wake of the ponytail, that she just worked in all directions. I felt like I was in that chair forever. "Could there really be that much hair left?" I asked her. "Oh, yeah," she said. To lessen the anxiety of the film crew's hovering presence, I kept my eyes on my husband and son and my mind on the purpose.

At last, every tress had fallen. I wore a big grin, pleased that I did this to help a worthy cause. But I'm no fool. From the first scalp-exposing clipper swipe, the chilly air made itself felt. I wasn't ashamed of being bald, but my head was cold-I put on the fleece cap I had brought.

How did I fare toward my goal? On the day of the shaving, my generous donors had established me as the top fundraiser, with over $1,200. (My son Bob's Facebook project, which made him my highest single contributor at $137, was the donation that put me over the top. He was beside himself with excitement.) And folks are still contributing. To date, my fundraising total is $1,407, a whopping 281% of my original goal, for which I am awed and grateful.

You may wonder, now that it's done, how I'm received with my current 2mm of hair. Mostly I don't think about it, especially since the cold weather keeps a cap/hat on my head-yes, even in many indoor places. However, when the headwear comes off, I have noticed several reactions. There are those who avert their eyes; there are those who do a double-take before focusing away from me; and there are those who let their gaze linger. I can see them wondering...Is she sick? Is she a weirdo? Why the heck is her head shaved? Some few people-most of them children-actually ask, and I'm more than happy to explain. There are two circumstances that do bother me: small children who seem frightened, or at least wary, of me; and our orange tabby, who used to nest herself in my hair on my pillow, no longer sleeps with me. The first couple of nights, she tried tucking herself beside me, laying on my chest, or curling up at my feet. She has given up, though, and doesn't appear at bedtime anymore. Still, all of this shall pass, since the hair will grow back.

In the meantime, most of my family, friends, and acquaintances have simply accepted it, business as usual. Some have even remarked that they admire me for having done it. The grounding element for me, though, is that I feel the rightness of it because I believe in the value of the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

To see more photos of the event, go to http://cubuffalum.org/2008/03/12/st-baldricks-march-2008/. Also, you can still donate on my head (Karen Jenista; shavee ID: S-27633) at www.stbaldricks.orgor by calling 888-899-BALD (2253). For a more active role, volunteer or register as a shaveee for the St. Baldrick's event approaching soon, April 4, right here in Colorado Springs. Information on the event can be found on the Web site.