Granite announced that more than 1,000 people shaved their heads in the 6th annual “Saving by Shaving” event, raising $6.5 million for pediatric cancer research at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Granite CEO Rob Hale, along with Granite teammates, families and friends, were joined by a variety of community leaders, celebrities and athletes including Mass. Governor Charles Duane Baker Jr. and Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, David Ortiz; Ray Bourque; and several members of the New England Patriots.
In the past six years, more than 8,000 people have participated in the “Saving by Shaving” event by shaving their heads and donating their hair, raising more than $28.5 million for charitable organizations.
For each person who shaves their head or donates at least 8 inches of their hair, Granite donated $2,500, which was matched dollar for dollar by the Hale family, for a total of $5,000 per head to fund pediatric cancer research at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Additionally, all locks of hair will be donated to Hair We Share, which creates custom wigs free of charge for those affected by medical hair loss.
Plus, a donation of $100 was made for every “chemo cap” (a hat for cancer patients who’ve lost hair due to chemotherapy) created by the Granite Fiber Art’s team. This year the team handcrafted 451 hats for children and adults.
The “Saving by Shaving” event also was supported by Granite’s business customers and local businesses, such as:
- Celebrity chef Paul Wahlberg (Wahlburgers), who provided food for the volunteers
- Professional barbers and stylists, who donated their time and expertise
The “Saving by Shaving” event was closed to the general public, but Granite encourages likeminded individuals to support funding for pediatric cancer research by donating to the Boston Children’s Hospital Trust.
Granite’s annual “Saving by Shaving” fundraiser began five years ago when CEO Rob Hale jokingly dared a member of his team to shave his ZZ Top-style beard in exchange for a $1,000 donation to a cancer hospital.
Over the next two weeks, hundreds more Granite teammates reached out to Hale asking for the same opportunity to raise funds and shave their heads or beards in solidarity with those undergoing chemotherapy. From there, 428 teammates turned out at Granite’s first “Saving by Shaving” event and raised more than $2.2 million to benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
