The 2017 “Mr. Kinne’s Challenge,” a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, projects that it will have raised more than $5,000 as a team once all of the donations are submitted.
St. Baldrick defines itself as a “volunteer-powered charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives.”
Bishop Grimes Junior-Senior High School Assistant Principal Pat Kinne formed a team in early March. He reported that this year, his team had five members: Captain Nathan Schultz (2022), Wyatt Kinsey (2017), Owen Demetros (2022), Alec Kinne (Blessed Sacrament School), and himself (1998).
Captain Schultz is a Knight Commander with St. Baldrick’s; he has participated in the fundraising at least 10 years.
“As a team,” Kinne said in an email, “we have already raised $4,289 and that does not include the monies that were handed in at the event.”
Last year “Mr. Kinne’s Challenge” raised over $1,100 when the East Syracuse school was challenged to raise $750. This year, the Grimes community (along with some help from Kinne’s friends and family) raised over $1,500.
The event culminated with shaving the participants’ heads on April 2 at the Kitty Hoynes eatery in Syracuse. Then, as a reward for meeting and beating the challenge, the student body was able to shave Kinne’s head during lunch April 3 at Grimes.
