New England Patriots Rob Gronkowski was among those who attended this year's Buzz Off For Kids With Cancer at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Gronkowski joined others at One Mission's event Sunday to raise money for children fighting cancer while also boosting their confidence.
The Patriots player got in on the fun, allowing kids to give him a buzz.
“I was just hoping they didn’t get me bleeding in the back or something with the buzzer,” Gronk said. “Just so awesome to see all these kids, what they’re going through. To see the smile on their face, to see their friends, to see their family just having a blast out here."
Gronkowski posted before and after photos to Twitter following the event, joking that his "fresh new summer cut" will make him "so much faster."
Kelly Santoro was also proud to show off her new cut.
“We just kind of wanted kids to be able to realize that just because they don’t have any hair doesn’t mean it’s anything wrong with them,” Santoro said.
U.S. & World
People waited in line close to an hour to get a buzz cut, but that didn’t bother Parker Webber, who had a special reason for participating this year.
“My mom had breast cancer a year ago. It inspired me to grow my hair and cut it,” Webber said.
Webber's mom, Melissa, said, “I’ve taught my kids to be brave and be strong no matter what they’re faced with. He wants to do this today for kids so I’m proud of him. He’s raised over $3,400 dollars.”
The annual event helps families deal with the extra costs that come with having a child with cancer in the hospital. It's something founder Ashley Haseotes understands well.
“My first born had cancer when he was a baby and I’m lucky that he survived and this is my way of giving back to the community and being able to help people that I know what they’re going through,” Haseotes said.
The organization has raised more than $700,000 in donations so far. Come July, they expect to raise $1-million.
For more information on the event, click here.
