Fighting cancer with clippers
By John Joyce
Published in News on March 31, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/SETH MABRY
Josh Pipkin, right, smiles as he looks toward fellow Oakland Fire Department member Jonathan Womble during Saturday's St. Baldrick's event at the Flying Shamrock. The annual event raises money to help fight cancer.
News-Argus/SETH MABRY
Chris Bailey of Oakland Fire Department gets his head and mustache shaved.
Rosalie and Chad Cobb have helped raise more than $100,000 in the five years they have been organizing the local St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser for children's cancer research.
They would not be deterred by rain Saturday.
Tents erected outside The Flying Shamrock, 115 N. John St., provided enough cover for those willing to shed their heads for a good cause.
More than $20,000 poured in Saturday.
"Every year, we average shaving 90 to 95 people," Cobb said.
The event is heavily supported by law enforcement, the city and county paid volunteer fire departments and Wayne County EMS, he added.
"We usually require at least $25 to get shaved, but most of the time people raise more money," Mrs. Cobb said.
She and her husband brought the event to Goldsboro in 2010.
"Everybody knows somebody that has been affected by cancer, so by coming out, all the proceeds go for research," Cobb said.
He said he went to a St. Baldrick's event in 2008 in Wilson and came home excited and talked to his wife about it.
"She has a niece who went through chemo and is now in remission, so this more personal for her than it is for me," he said.
Joey Murphy of Cross Fit Goldsboro raised $2,700 on his own.
He said his father has cancer of the liver.
"I've seen what it's done to him, the physical results of chemo, the costs," Murphy said.
He said he heard about the event last year and decided he was going to contribute when it came around again.
The Cobbs are members of his gym.
Over two months he solicited support in the community and online.
Murphy said he has seen too many of his own family battle the disease.
"It is something that is very close to home to me."
Wayne Turner and The Flying Shamrock have hosted the event each year since it began.
"The first year we held it inside. The second year we tried holding it inside but it was too big and spilled outside," Turner said.
It has been an outdoor event ever since.
Turner said all of the local businesses in the area have to agree each year to allow the permits, so it truly is a community event.
"And 25 percent of all food sales tonight will be donated to St. Baldrick's," he said.