HOUSTON — On Saturday, the Houston Dynamo will have a new look as they square off against the Philadelphia Union. Several Dynamo players, including Craig Waibel, Bobby Boswell and Mike Chabala, will shave their heads this week at Texas Children’s Cancer Center in an attempt to raise funds for the Waibel's Warriors Bald is Beautiful fundraising event.
“I’m excited as it is a great event,” Chabala said. “It’s a charity that means something to Craig and me. Over the past couple of years, I have made a home [at Texas Children’s Hospital]. Friends that have survived and beat the odds and friends that didn’t. It’s a great event and I’m looking forward to it.”
This will be the second edition of the Bald is Beautiful campaign. Last year, on relatively short notice, Waibel’s Warriors raised over $40,000, and Waibel hopes to raise $75,000 this year. All proceeds will benefit Nick’s Team and the Curing Childhood Cancer Fund, a 501(c)3 charity supporting cancer research.
Though last year was extremely successful, Waibel hopes that having a silent auction, a bone marrow drive, and allowing people to make donations to Locks of Love will make the event an even larger success this year.
Waibel will also be joined by teammates Chabala and Boswell in getting their head shaved this week. Chabala noted that he and Boswell had to step up to the plate since Waibel is so follicly challenged.
“It brings a significance and importance that Craig [cutting his hair] can’t bring to the table,” Chabala said jokingly.
As for how he got involved in the fight against cancer, Waibel credits Nick Doize, who about six months ago lost his fight with leukemia.
“I went down there the first year in 2005 in Christmas to visit a young man, Nick Doize, and that was it,” Waibel said. “Once I met him that was it. It’s nice to be able to go down there and see family after family that just say, 'Thanks, because my child hasn’t smiled for weeks, and for ten minutes you made him smile.' When you hear things like that it’s easy to go back down.”
“After getting to know these families and their situations, I realized there has to be more that we can do,” Waibel added.
For fans, there are several ways they can contribute to the cause. First, any fan that can raise $100 can have their head shaved and will receive a light hair cut for the summer, commemorative T-shirt, wristband and a Tex-Mex dinner.
“Anybody who has hair knows friends who will pay to see them bald,” Waibel said. “So we ask people to find ten friends to give you ten bucks a piece to shave your head. Last year we had 50 people or so shave their head and we’re hoping for more this year.”
For those that are a little too vain to get their head shaved, there will also be a silent auction and a bone marrow drive and of course donations can be made either the day of the event or can be sent directly to the Curing Children’s Cancer Fund, 1001 Fannin St, Suite #722, Houston, TX 7702.
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSsoccer.com. Questions or Comments can be sent via email to dwaincapodice@gmail.com.
