Plymouth Woman Among Volunteers Going Bald for a Cause

Abigail Stonerook will be sporting a different look after April 29, but she’s not adopting the new hairdo just to make a fashion statement.

Stonerook is soliciting donations to shave her head to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a charity that funds children’s cancer research, and her effort already has yielded more than $5,000 for the cause with donations coming from places such as New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.

Abigail Stonerook, her brother, Nick Stonerook, both of Plymouth, are among 20 who will participate at an April 29 event at the Claddagh Irish Pub in Livonia organized by Plymouth Township Deputy Clerk Eric Bacyinski.

While some of Abigail Stonerook’s peers are questioning her losing her trademark locks — “A lot of people around me have reservations because I am job-searching right now,” she said — she insists that the cause is more important than the years it will take to grow back her hair.

As for having her appearance affect her job chances, she said, “I want to work for an employer who can see that as an asset.”

For Nick Stonerook, who said his hair likely would grow back within a couple of months, it isn’t nearly as much of a commitment to shave his head.

“I don’t have any reservations at all,” he said. “I will assume I will do this for years to come now.”

Abigail Stonerook, 27, and Nick Stonerook, 30, credited their parents for instilling a spirit of volunteerism when they were younger. For Nick Stonerook, this has extended to his job at the , a charitable organization. The siblings said their friends often are surprised to learn that neither personally knows a child affected by cancer and still are adamant about raising funds for their cause.

“I think that’s a question that I get a lot, because people are very surprised by me shaving off all my hair,” she said. “I look at every child as if they are in our lives.”

Bacyinski, the event’s organizer, took the same approach with getting involved.

“I wish I had a great story with that,” he said. “There’s no family connection; I just kind of look at it as a great cause, and it is. If you’re going to raise money for a cause, why not for kids?”

Social media blitz helps raise funds

Abigail Stonerook, who became involved after volunteering to be her brother’s campaign manager to help him raise funds, said that within about 48 hours of signing up to shave her head, donations came pouring in. Many of the donors, she said, were recruited via Facebook.

“The most humbling thing about this whole situation is logging in (on the St. Baldrick’s website) and seeing a totally unexpected donation,” she said.

The most surprising, she said, came from a group of high school boys in Saudi Arabia, where she had lived and worked for six months, who pooled money together to donate for the cause.

“I signed in and saw it and cried,” she said.

In addition to offering a 100 percent guarantee that she’ll go through with her promise, Abigail Stonerook said she is thanking donors with handwritten thank-you notes and an “after” photo within two months of the event.

Her goal of $10,000 is within reach, she said, while Nick is close to his $1,000 goal.

Bacyinski, in his second year of organizing the event, became involved in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in 2009 as a volunteer before organizing his first fundraiser for the organization in 2011.

The event, he said will offer live music, a raffle, silent auction and 20 people shaving their heads for a cause.

“I’ve been very blessed in my life with all the things I’ve had given to me and opportunities,” he said. “When you have that many blessings, the least you can do is give back.”

If you go:

• What: St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser
• When: Noon-4 p.m. on April 29
• Where: Claddagh Irish Pub, 17800 Haggerty Road, Livonia
• Cost: Free to attend, but donations accepted

Read Abigail Stonerook's blog on Patch

Abigail Stonerook is blogging about her journey raising funds to shave her head for charity on Patch. Follow for the latest details about this event.

Editor's note: Plymouth Patch and Canton Patch Editor John McKay, who authored this article, also is volunteering for this event.