Sometimes, one experience can change your perspective for a lifetime. For Chris, attending a St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving event in 2013 helped him find hope during a difficult chapter of his life. More than a decade later, he’s giving back in a new way through the Send Kids’ Cancer Packing® Backpack Challenge.
Finding Hope Through St. Baldrick’s
After losing a dear friend in 2012, Chris was going through a difficult time and preparing to donate his hair to Locks of Love. When a neighbor in Richmond invited him to a St. Baldrick’s event, he decided to give it a try.
What he saw left a lasting impression. Among the roughly 100 people in attendance were about a dozen children shaving their caregivers’ heads. One little girl, wearing a hat and mask, was smiling from ear to ear as she shaved two heads herself.
Her joy in the face of such a difficult fight was unforgettable.
For Chris, it was like watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. Her spirit helped him emerge from a dark period and find a new direction in life. That change in outlook eventually led him to meet his wife and begin a new chapter.
After his seventh hair donation, Chris planned to retire from “hair farming.” But then he received a thank-you letter from Children with Hair Loss explaining that it typically takes eight ponytails to make a wig. With his wife Lynn’s support, Chris decided to make one more hair donation before retiring. As part of his retirement package, his wife learned to cut his hair – and she’s since mastered the art of using the clippers.
Now, he’s found another way to support the St. Baldrick’s mission.
Hitting the Trails for Childhood Cancer Research
After moving to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Chris wanted to find a way to raise childhood cancer awareness in a community with limited opportunities for local events.
He thought of Lea, a young woman he knew through an after-school program who is currently battling leukemia and attending middle school. Despite everything she faced, Lea maintained an incredible spirit and positive attitude.
When Chris saw the Send Kids’ Cancer Packing® Backpack Challenge, he knew it was an opportunity to share Lea’s story while supporting childhood cancer research.
The challenge is inspired by children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who may receive blinatumomab, or Blina, through a portable pump carried in a backpack for 28 days. This treatment can allow children to spend more time at home and less time in the hospital.
An avid hiker, Chris set out to complete 28 hikes with his companion, TiGGr, by his side. His wife joined them for many of their earlier outings, too.
Left: Chris, his wife, and TiGGr made a quick stop at Snow Birds during a couple of their hikes. Middle: Hike 10 – Chris, his wife, and TiGGr explored the Huckleberry Trail in Blacksburg, VA. Right: Hike 19 – Chris, his wife, and TiGGr walked about Ocracoke (MST).
Chris started close to home, exploring trails and familiar spots around Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills. His hikes took him through local woods, along the Atlantic coast and to Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Less than five months removed from shoulder surgery, he was careful to take things at his own pace.
As the challenge continued, Chris ventured farther afield. During a trip to Virginia, he reunited with a long-time friend and explored the Appalachian Trail area, while tackling the Virginia Triple Crown: Tinker Cliffs, McAfee Knob, and Dragon’s Tooth — a rocky, scenic hike that required some scrambling to reach its summits.
Top row left to right: Hike 2 – Chris and TiGGr hiked through Nags Head Woods Preserve to Country Deli. Hike 27 – Chris and TiGGr hiked under the Kitty Hawk Pier to the Southern Shore town line and back. Hike 3 – Chris and TiGGr hiked by Jockey’s Ridge State Park to Snow Birds. Hike 3 – Chris and TiGGr hiked by Jockey’s Ridge State Park to Snow Birds. Bottom row left to right: Hike 9 – Chris and TiGGr tackled another one of the Triple Crown summits, Tinkers’ Cliffs. Hike 11 – Chris and TiGGr tackled the last of the Triple Crown summits, McAfee’s Knob, where they took the Fire Road up and back. Hike 21 – Chris and TiGGr hiked through Nags Head Woods Preserve Trails 4, 5 & 6. Hike 3 – Chris and TiGGr hiked by Jockey’s Ridge State Park to Snow Birds, where TiGGr received a pup cup of soft serve topped with a doggie biscuit. They also sponsored Chris’ efforts to Send Kids’ Cancer Packing.
Whether walking local trails with TiGGr or taking on more challenging terrain, Chris found ways to combine his love of hiking with a mission that mattered. Even before his official challenge backpack arrived, Lynn found a green backpack for TiGGr so they could bring the spirit of the challenge along on vacation.
Left: Hike 6 – Chris and TiGGr walked through Nags Head Wood Preserve, by the YMCA, and through Dowdy Park to NHES on the way to work. Right: Hike 19 – Chris, his wife, and TiGGr walked about Ocracoke (MST).
Starting Conversations, Sharing Stories
For Chris, the backpack became a conversation starter. When he met people along the trails and near the piers, he often opened with a simple question: “Have you ever heard of St. Baldrick’s?”
The conversations that followed revealed just how many people have personal connections to childhood cancer.
Left to right: Hike 12 – Chris and TiGGr joined his best friend Eric on a ‘maintenance check’ of his section of the Appalachian Trail. Hike 28 – Chris’ last hike with his wife and TiGGr from his home to Country Deli, where they met the owners Mark and Karla. They also sponsored Chris’ efforts to Send Kids’ Cancer Packing. Hike 8 – Chris, his wife, TiGGr, and their friend Tash explored the Huckleberry Trail in Christiansburg, VA. Hike 7 – Chris and TiGGr were joined by his best friend Eric while hiking Dragon’s Tooth.
During a hike at Dragon’s Tooth, Chris met someone whose grandson had been diagnosed with cancer. He had shaved his own head to stand in solidarity with his grandson and wished he had known about St. Baldrick’s sooner. Thankfully, there was a hopeful update: his grandson was now preparing to go to prom.
Encounters like this reminded Chris why sharing the mission matters. Behind every conversation is a person, a family, or a story that connects us to the fight against childhood cancer.
Top row left to right: Hike 7 – Chris and TiGGr were joined by his best friend Eric while hiking Dragon’s Tooth. Hike 11 – Chris and TiGGr tackled the last of the Triple Crown summits, McAfee’s Knob, where they took the Fire Road up and back. Hike 7 – Chris and TiGGr were joined by his best friend Eric while hiking Dragon’s Tooth. Hike 9 – Chris and TiGGr tackled another one of the Triple Crown summits, Tinkers’ Cliffs. Bottom row left to right: Hike 15 – Chris and TiGGr hiked MST Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Ramp 30 towards Rodanthe Pier. Hike 7 – Chris and TiGGr were joined by his best friend Eric while hiking Dragon’s Tooth. Hike 2 – Chris and TiGGr hiked through Nags Head Woods Preserve, stopped at Wave Riders (local coffee plus shop) for a pup cup of whip cream and then back home through Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Hike 17 – Chris and TiGGr hiked MST Jenette’s Pier to Outer Banks Fishing Pier.
The challenge also gave Chris a greater appreciation for the commitment involved. Organizing and completing 28 hikes required planning, time, and persistence. He realized the challenge was about more than carrying a backpack — it was about showing up and creating opportunities to talk about what children with cancer and their families experience.
One moment made that connection especially meaningful. Around June 2, Lea completed her own 28-day treatment period, with some of her treatment days overlapping with Chris’s hikes. Her mother was excited to see Chris participating and sharing Lea’s story.
Lea met Chris and TiGGr during his last hike, Hike 28.
Knowing his efforts coincided with Lea’s treatment made the challenge even more personal.
One Step at a Time
After completing his final hike, Chris celebrated with a 35-day cruise with Holland America. Since returning, a new job has kept him busy, but he hopes to get back to hiking soon.
The challenge may be over, but its impact continues. Chris now uses his backpack for work, carrying the mission into his everyday life and creating opportunities for future conversations.
Left: Hike 27 – Chris and TiGGr hiked under the Kitty Hawk Pier to the Southern Shore town line and back. Right: Hike 1 – Chris and TiGGr hiked from Nags Head Woods Preserve to Country Deli.
From his first St. Baldrick’s event to the trails of North Carolina, Chris has found meaningful ways to turn personal experiences into action. His journey is a reminder that supporting childhood cancer research doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Sometimes, it starts with a hike, a story or a simple question.
And sometimes, making a difference means taking one more step.
