TURNERS FALLS — There are 50 new bald heads in Turners Falls, but Dimitri Conway is not one of them.
Dimitri is a second-grader at Sheffield Elementary School whose leukemia is in remission. On Thursday, the school held a “Buzz Off” for One Mission, an organization that helps families with children who have cancer, and that has helped Dimitri and his family when he needs to go to Boston for treatments.
Dimitri was smiling and dancing on stage as he got high-fives from Sheffield staff members, Turners Falls and Greenfield firefighters and Turners Falls football players who shaved their heads on stage in the Sheffield auditorium.
About 50 people from district schools and the community shaved their heads, with help from cosmetology students from Franklin County Technical School. The school has raised about $13,000 for One Mission so far and it will still be collecting money through Feb. 5.
Shelli Taylor, a second-grade paraprofessional, was one of the first to get her head shaved on Thursday, with Dimitri doing the shaving with the assistance of one of the Tech School students.
Taylor cried as they finished shaving her head and Dimitri held her hand. She said it was an emotional day as she thought about how far Dimitri had come since starting the second grade.
“To see him be where he is now with a full head of hair, becoming healthy, I could not be more proud … I am so honored to be a part of this,” she said.
Dimitri said he was having a great time on Thursday and had fun shaving Taylor’s head. His mother, Mary Conway, was in attendance and had tears in her eyes as she took photos of her son on stage. She said it was overwhelming to see the outpouring of support from the school and the community.
The whole school gathered for the assembly and cheered as “buzzies” had their heads shaved.
It wasn’t just students and staff who shaved their heads, though. Members of the Turners Falls and Greenfield Fire Departments got shaved as well as Turners Falls High School football team players.
Tionne Brown, a Turners quarterback, said he’s related to Dimitri through his step-mother, and was excited to do something to help.
The elementary students chanted his name while he was on stage. He said he’s been involved in fundraising efforts since Dimitri was diagnosed and decided to shave his head when he heard about the event.
“I heard about the Buzz Off and I figured that there’s people who have worse stuff going on in their lives and that I can shave my head,” Brown said.
The school’s assistant principal and event organizer Christine Limoges said the community has really come together and rallied for the fundraiser. The school has been raising money since it held a kickoff in November.
Limoges said the event was full of emotion and pride that the school and so many others had rallied for a good cause. She said the event was close to her heart because her husband is a cancer survivor.
“It’s amazing to bring some help and sunshine to those kids who are going through so much,” she said.
One Mission is a pediatric cancer charity in Framingham that aids families with kids battling cancer. It plans events like this around Massachusetts. Sheffield’s “Buzz Off” is part of a larger fundraising challenge by One Mission. The group or company that raises the most money will win a visit from Rob Gronkowski, tight end for the New England Patriots.
Abby Porosky from One Mission said that the money can go a long way for families, and even $10 can cover a parking pass for a family. She said the support for events like this is two-fold: the children feel supported by their communities but it also raises money that has a direct impact on families.
“When a kid’s going through cancer, they’re going through so much more than treatments,” she said.
Those interested in donating for Sheffield can do to www.onemissionbuzzoff.org/sheffieldpride.
Reach Miranda Davis at:
413-772-0261, ext. 280 or
mdavis@recorder.com.