Allen Family Brings Cancer Buzz-Off To North Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Rose Tuck knew her husband, Mark, had a bet with a friend last year that involved someone shaving their head.
The tech executive from Allen was competing to raise the most money for a pediatric cancer charity in Massachusetts. Rose did not know the winner and loser [her husband] would both be bald by the end of it.
Mark Tuck was one of nearly 900 men, women and children who went under the clippers last year for One Mission's Kid's Cancer Buzz-Off.
The event that has until now only been held in Gillette Stadium, will expand to AT&T Stadium in Arlington in May.
The brave, bald participants raised more than $1.6 million over four years in support of kids with cancer.
Rather than supporting broad-based research, One Mission supports the physical, emotional and financial needs of patients and their families.
Patients may need decorations for their hospital room. The family might be able to use a special outing. Even paying for hospital parking garage charges, can provide relief to families.
"When we found out what the foundation does with the funds, that spoke more to me," Rose Tuck said.
It was 1988 when the Tuck's 12-year-old daughter Jenny started complaining of a pain in her back. By the time doctors found the tumor, Mark said, it was already well developed.
Jenny died in 1990. During her treatment, the family spent weeks at a time at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. The special touches that families and staff could bring to the stay went a long way they said, toward encouraging their daughter while she was sick.
After Mark participated in the Buzz-Off last year, he talked to the organization's founder about expanding to Texas, and supporting needs and Children's.
More than 100 participants are already raising money, for the first event on May 4.
"I told her, I don't want to reinvent the wheel," Mark said. "What you've got is working. How do we stamp that model here?" The organization is focused he said, on creating an endowment with the funds, so they will never have to tell a family there is no money for their needs.
In Keller, seven-year-old Kaleb Malzac is well on his way to his goal of raising $5,000, and in just over a month, losing his hair.
"I've been going to hospitals since I was three or two," he said.
Kaleb's mom, Courtney, said her son was on board immediately when she told him about the event. She had a friend with cancer when she was young, and wanted him to understand its impact.
"He's done good," she said. "And he cares. When he see somebody he doesn't avoid them, he talks to them, approaches them."
The North Texas event is already three times bigger than the first event in Massachusetts four years ago. The organization hopes to expand to New York, in 2015.
Click here to find out more about One Mission's Kid's Cancer Buzz-Off.
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