MORGAN PARK — St. Cajetan is an actual Catholic saint. St. Baldrick is not. And yet, the pair have teamed to fight childhood cancer.
The Southwest Side parish named for St. Cajetan will raise money to fight the deadly disease by shaving the heads of its elementary school students, parishioners and even its pastor, the Rev. Frank Kurucz.
St. Cajetan's inaugural St. Baldrick's Day event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon March 14 in the school's Memorial Hall at 2447 W. 112th St. in Morgan Park. The event hopes to raise $15,000 for pediatric cancer research and already has pledges of $11,971.
The fundraiser is being held in honor of Liam Bonner, the late son of parishioners Brian and Amy Bonner. Liam Bonner died in 2007 from a brain tumor.
Howard Ludwig says his sons will be participating:
The St. Cajetan community is also shaving heads in support of Elliot McGann, who was diagnosed with leukemia on Nov. 28. Two-year-old Elliot is the son of comedian Pat McGann, an alumnus of St. Cajetan School.
The event's superhero theme is a nod to Elliot McGann, who's been dubbed Super Elliot as he fights the blood disease. Organizers have even adopted the catchphrase, "Here We Come To Shave The Day!!!"
Along with shaving heads, the Far Southwest Side parish has also raised money for the effort with a bake sale, open gym and by selling T-shirts. The bake sale raised a little more than $1,000 and some 900 shirts have been sold.
Thus far, Jayne Sullivan, 9, of Morgan Park, is leading the pack in terms of donations. The third-grade student had secured pledges of $1,536 by Wednesday.
"Baldrick's rules. Cancer drools," Sullivan told her mother on Wednesday.
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