LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Every two minutes worldwide a child is diagnosed with cancer and one in five of those children will not survive, according to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation which has been raising money to combat childhood cancer with its annual head-shaving event in Las Vegas.
Ruby Kyra Larson, 6, is one of the organization’s youngest volunteers. Her father Eric and mother Dawn met while volunteering at the event with Brian and Lynn McMullan. For the last 17 years, their Irish pub McMullan’s has raised nearly $7 million for childhood cancer and has shaved hundreds of heads.
Now nearly a decade later there’s another young volunteer. Eric and Dawn named their daughter after Kyra McMullan who died when she was 2 years old from cancer. Larson will become the youngest “Knight” in St. Baldrick’s History after helping her family with the head-shaving event.
The honor is a title given to those who have played a major role in the organization for at least 7 years. She will be knighted at the next fundraising event on Saturday.
The 17th Annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation Head-Shaving Event is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. at McMullan’s Irish Pub. Nearly 150 people have already signed up to have their head shaven but there’s room for more.
8 News Now’s very own Brian Loftis, Heather Mills, and Sherry Swensk will be hosting the event.
This year’s fundraising goal is to raise $500,000. As of Friday, they have raised nearly $400,000 of that amount. To find out more about the event, click here.
