Members of the Valparaiso men’s soccer team will be hosting the fifth annual St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser and shaving their heads on April 11 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

This year, the group is looking to raise $55,000, as it hopes to add to a grand total of over $100,000 raised over the past five years. Join the Crusaders at this event to continue the fight against childhood cancer, and with your help, we can come closer to finding the cure. All Crusaders, big and small, can be a hero for children by shaving, donating, or volunteering. They will be looking to shave 100 heads in 30 minutes for the second year in a row in the second bald battle.

The Crusaders first raised money for St. Baldrick’s in 2011, where they were able to raise better than $5,000 for the foundation. Last year, the team reached new heights, raising nearly $45,000 to fund research for cures for childhood cancers. 80 heads were shaved in a 30-minute span, with over 100 heads shaved in total.

Fans are invited to come out on the 12th to support the team, donate to the cause or even join the team and get their head shaved. Fans can also donate by visiting http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/valpo or by calling Tom Serratore at 708-285-1427 to donate by check.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation currently funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. The foundation coordinates its signature head-shaving events worldwide, where volunteers get bald to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer and raise money to support life-saving childhood cancer research. A child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes. St. Baldrick's events are the largest volunteer-driven fundraising opportunity benefitting pediatric cancer research.

The Crusaders will also be playing exhibition games on Brown Field following the fundraiser. They take the pitch against IPFW at 3:30 p.m. followed by St. Joseph's at 5:00 p.m.