McHenry County Blog

Nikolas Archambean is four.

His mother Candie waits on the Crystal Lake Kiwanis when the club meets at Colonial.

She must have been talking about the St. Baldrick’s children cancer research fund raiser, because one time when I was having lunch, Candie told me that her son was going to have his head shaved to help the kids with cancer.

As luck would have it, I was at McHenry County College when Nikolas was on the barber stool.

At the same time, a McHenry County College student names Ashley was undergoing similar removal of her blond hair.

My attention, of course, was on the three-year old.

Crystal Lake Kiwanis President Molly Carp holds mirror for Nik to see how he looks halfway through the haircut.

The haircut continued.

Nikolas raised over $500 by getting his head shaved.

Meanwhile, Ashley’s haircut was done.

Bald apparently wasn’t comfortable.

Later Ashley took the microphone.

She announced that she had shaved her head because her friend Bob Gibbons had a tumor.

The two hugged.

A couple of Bob’s other friends stepped up for a photo.

I tried to get all four of the friends together, but one left before my camera recycled.

Bob told me that he had a tumor at the back of his head. One third was cut out, but the rest can only be treated with less invasive methods.

Stepping to the front to have her tresses cut on Wednesday was former Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club President Jo Anne Ollerenshaw.

The cutting of her long hair was done to promote the upcoming St. Baldrick’s Pediatric Cancer Research Fund Raiser, which the local Kiwanis Club has sponsored for the last three years.

Besides this main event, which this year will be held at McHenry County College’s conference center, Crystal Lake South High School’s Key Club sponsors a similar fund raiser where students and faculty have their heads shaved to benefit the charity.

The Ollerenshaw event was held in conjunction with one of the service club’s two monthly meetings, this time at McHenry County College,.  Ollerenshaw he teaches there.

Plastic was placed under the area where Crystal Lake Clip Joynt Salon’s Allison Vi set up her equipment.

Ollerenshaw discussed the relatives and friends who had fought various forms of cancer, some winning and some losing that battle.

Details of the March 2013 St. Patick’s Day Friday event at MCC are below:

When you take a speech course, the teacher gives this advice:

• Tell them what you are going to tell them.
• Tell them.
• Tell them what you told them.

In Crystal Lake South High School’s Freshman Josh Brent’s speech, he followed two-thirds of that advice.

The first two-thirds.

“I’m going to bring tears to your eyes,” was his opening line as he stood on the stage of Crystal Lake’s South High School at a St. Baldrick’s Day rally sponsored by the Key Club, a high school version of the Crystal Lake Kiwanis.

The summary was not needed.  Handkerchiefs were.

What’s St. Baldrick’s Day?  Take a look at the web site.

It’s something a couple of New York City advertising folks dreamed up after a discussion that St. Patrick’s Day should be about more than going out and getting drunk.

People shave their heads and end up looking like chemo patients.

They ask people to donate money for kids’ cancer research.

Here’s what’s been done locally:

• McHenry West High School, 65 shavees, $6,222 raised (all figures through mid-day yesterday; you can still contribute here)
• McHenry East High School, 29 shavees, $12,599
• Crystal Lake South High School, 34 shavees, $7,230
• Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club, 90 shavees, $24,366
• Woodstock High School, 40 shavees, $18,071

(McHenry West Assistant Principal Carl Vallianatos says that $45,000 is expected to be raised in McHenry.)

Total raised by the self-described “world’s largest volunteer-driven charity for childhood cancer research?”

Over $100 million raised since its founding in 2000.

But, let’s get back to Josh.

Six years ago this month, Josh was in third grade. He had head aches. When he started watching TV with a hand over his eye, his parents ramped up from the pediatrician to an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor).

Very soon he was off to a hospital, where his family was told that he had a 40% chance of surviving the brain cancer that had been diagnosed.

The Bear Necessities Foundation held a McDonald’s Party for him and some friends. The Make-a-Wish Foundation couldn’t deliver on a wish Josh had regarding the Cubs. His second choice, a swimming pool in the back yard was more lasting, as he said with a broad smile.

The surgeon said that the tumor was wrapped around Josh’s eye. When he touched it, it opened like a the fingers of a closed fist. Not a common occurrence.

The physician told Josh’s parents that it wasn’t his hand operating.

He became known as the “miracle child.”

After Josh’s talk several students had their heads shaved on stage. Many more lined up in “The Pit,” when I returned after school.

Josh was first.

He’s an old hand at this.

Off came the hair, including a little pony tail that he had rubber banded at the middle of the back of his head.

There were two scars.

The first, his father Richard told me, was to relieve the pressure on the brain before the operation to remove the tumor.

The second ran down the back of his head.

Afterward, as I saw upperclasswomen gathered around, I figured out and told him his scars were “chick magnates.” That thought had not occurred to him.

The barbers had lots of fun taking off the teens’ and teachers’ hair.

I had fun showing the boys who had the middle of their heads shaved first what they would look like thirty years from now.

Horns showed up on one boy’s head.

Not to worry, though.

There were wings on the back.

The shavee didn’t accept my suggestion that he go like that to church.

He ended up bald.

So did thirty-three others.

The shaving was not finished until 5:30 and it started after school at three.

Two long-haired girls decided on the spot to donate eight inches of their hair.

Had to get permission from Mom first.

After the snipping, one commented, “I feel lighter already.”

While at the McHenry Marlins after season swim party Saturday, I found messages on West High School windows.

A lot were promoting St. Baldrick’s Day fund raising for children’s cancer research.

Talk about saturation promotion.

At last year’s Little Miss Peanut Pageant in the basement of the Home State Bank building near Route 14, I took lots of photos, but my computer crashed and I never got around to writing an article.

Not so this time around.

So, let me walk you though the event.

Former Kiwanis Club President Joe Johnson introduced Master of Ceremonies Blake Hobson. Both were shavees at the St. Balderick’s children’s cancer fundraiser the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day. Johnson raised the most money, while Hobson came in second. Johnson raised $1,832, while Hobson supporters gave $1,310. Notice that they both have hair.

With a goal of raising $5,000 event chairman Mike Splitt saw a whopping $24,772 come in for pediatric cancer research.

The program began with the little girls walking into the room.

Then, they went down the center aisle. Note that I am not the only one taking pictures.

The interviews were next.

First up was Natalie Alexander. I was so disorganized the only note I took was that she has two older brothers.

I rode down the elevator with black haired Davina Arellano. She really had long, beautiful locks, as you can see this photo I took before the event began.

Her favorite book is “Take a Mouse to the Movies,” which delighted EM Hobson.

Anna Austin followed. Her favorite book was “Puppies in the Pantry.” Perhaps not surprisingly, she has a dog named Bella. He likes to chew on pencils.

Like Natalie Alexander, Haley Benard has two older brothers. A dog is named Hershey.

Mallory Hoffman likes ice cream. Hobson went through four flavors and she liked them all. In school she said she liked making paper best. At home, she plays with Barbie dolls.

Sponge Bob is the favorite show of Tess Meisner. Patrick is her favorite character. Her favorite subject in school is art. She likes to draw faces.

Alyssa Pavlicek also likes Sponge Bob. And, lo and behold, her favorite is Patrick, too. Why? “He’s funny!”

In school, she like computers. She mentioned a 7-month old youn brothers’ family.  All the girls were asked why they wanted to be Little Miss Peanut. Alyssa’s answer: “I want to win.”

Mary Clare Schofield was the last candidate. Being a guy whose last names starts with “S,” I know about alphabet discrimination. (It’s the last great discrimination.)

Math is Mary Clare’s favorite subject. “It’s fun!” Why? “I like money.”

She also likes pickles, which seemed to intrigue the MC. Turns out she likes sweet pickles.

Later I learned from her mother, Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield, that Mary Clare donated her hair at St. Baldrick’s, raising $750. Her hair went to a girl with cancer.

After all the girls were interviewed, the judges, Mel Walter, Miss Crystal Lake 2010, Colleen Bechtold, Miss Crystal Lake 2009, Heather Mueller Miss Illinois 2010 and Crystal Lake Police Officer Sean McGrath, who runs Operation Click, retired to decide who would win the tiaras.

Before those announcements, the girls again entered the room.

Second runner up was Mallory Hoffman.

First runner up was Davina Arellano.

Little Miss Peanut for the next year is Alyssa Pavlicek.

All the girls received gift bags and standing applause.

After an Executive Session, Village President Erin Smith appointed former Village President Julie Richardson and Blake Hobson, former Nunda Township Trustee and McHenry County Board member, appointed Ways and Means Vice Chairman of the McHenry County Republican and a member of GOP Chairman Mike Tryon’s Chairman’s Circle.

Richardson, who did not run for re-election and supported Smith’s candidacy to replace her as village president last year, is in sync with Smith’s vision of developing the area around the intersection of Route 47 and Route 176 as a SportsPlex.

Hobson also has economic development experience as a member of the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority, an appointment made by the McHenry County Board, and as a board member of the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation.

The UIRVD Authority provided $55 million in financing for the Huntley Centegra Healthbridge. Ambulatory Care Center and medical offices. Before moving to the Woods of Turnberry, Hobson served as Nunda Township Republican Central Committee Chairman.

He runs the family business, Image Industries in Huntley.

Hobson has also emceed the Crystal Lake Kiwanis Little Miss Peanut pageant and raised the second highest amount (($1,310) in the club-sponsored St. Baldrick’s Day children’s cancer research fund raiser.

Eleven people applied for the two vacancies that resulted when Trustees Dorothy and John Pfeufer sold their home and resigned as of May 1st:

• Rick Clark of Country Club Additions
• Carlie Dubbeck of Turnberry
• Chris Fox of the Hills of Turnberry
• Bill Horvath of Georgetown
• Alan Kanabay of Turnberry
• Don Miller of Loch Glen
• Gary Sexton of Red Tail
• Steven Stavropoulos of Loch Glen
• Bill Wayne of Turnberry

Smith decided the two replacements should come from the West side of town, as did the two they replaced.

“Geography came into play,” she said.

She said that she was looking for “municipal governmental experience.”

The vote on the appointments was 4-1 with Pfeuffer ally Ken SAntowsk being the dissenting vote.

Next spring four of the seven trustee spots will be up. There will be three 4-year terms and one 1-two year term at stake. Candidates will have to specify which they are seeking on their petitions.

Last Monday I showed you head hair growth on Crystal Lake Kiwanis member Mike Splitt. He put together the St. Baldrick’s fund raising effort for children’s cancer research.

Today, take at look at Blake Hobson, who raised $1,310, second only to past Club President Joe Johnson’s $1,832.

The shaving of the heads took place at the Crystal Lake Salvation Army Headquarters on West Crystal Lake Avenue.

So far, $22,918 has been raised.

If you want to help push the amount over $23,000, you can do so here.

St. Baldrick’s Day, plus 9

Last Saturday before last, I ran into fellow Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club member Mike Splitt at the Crystal Lake Business Expo.

He was one of the brave ones who had his head shaved March 19th as my family was heading toward the Wisconsin Dells for a pre-Spring Break weekend.

Look at how far event organizer Splitt’s facial hair had grown back from the St. Baldrick’s Day shaving on behalf of St. Baldrick’s pediatric fund raiser held at the Crystal Lake Salvation Army.

Almost $23,000 was raised in the spectacularly successful fund raiser for children’s cancer research at the Crystal Lake event.

Past President Joe Johnston raised the most—$1,832—and Little Miss Peanut Emcee Blake Hobson garnered $1,310.