ELSANOR, Alabama -- Twelve brave students went in front of the entire student body on Friday, April 5 at Elsanor School to show solidary with kids suffering from cancer, while raising money to conquer childhood cancers.

As of Friday, more than $1,300 was raised for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

Five boys and one girl shaved their heads for the event, including Sophia Nudo, the 15-year-old daughter of Ellen and John Nudo, who helped organize Friday’s event, and Giovanni Nudo, a second grader at the school who spearheaded the event.

A total of 12 students participated in the event, including four girls who donated their hair to the Locks of Love Foundation. Participants included Giovanni Nudo, Sophia Nudo, Brice Hubbard, Josh Gardner, Sara Middleton, Destin Simmons, Swyndle Pierce, Emmarose Garner, Kaylee Hall, Destini Ott, Cameron Edmonds and Colby Edmonds.

Ellen Nudo did the honors for Giovanni and Sophia Nudo, using the same shears, coat and cover used to cut their hair by her father-in-law, Giovanni “John” Nudo, a longtime barber who died of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma five years ago. Additional barbering was done by Susan Long of Suds in Robertsdale, Christy Pierce and Lauri Wilson of Seabreeze in Robertsdale.

Elsanor School Principal Dr. Susan Runnels also got her hair cut on Friday but, much to the disappointment of the student body, did not opt to have her head shaved.

Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $101 million to support lifesaving research, making the Foundation the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, according to the release.

St. Baldrick’s funds are granted to some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts in the world and to younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds awarded also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, which may be a child’s best hope for a cure.

More information on St. Baldrick’s can be obtained by visiting www.StBaldricks.org or call toll-free 1-888-899-BALD (2252).