PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The University of Maine at Presque Isle and Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (C-A-N-C-E-R) have announced that the 10th Annual Planet Head Day, held Feb. 20 at UMPI’s Wieden Gymnasium, raised close to $20,000, nearly doubling last year’s amount of $11,000.
Presque Isle City Manager Martin Puckett has his shaved head painted by Heather Harvell, co-board chair of the Wintergreen Arts Center, as part of the 10th annual Planet Head Day on Feb. 20. Puckett joined fellow town managers and other community figures in the event, which raised nearly $20,000 for Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (C-A-N-C-E-R).
(Courtesy of Michael A. Gudreau)
About 50 County citizens had their heads shaved, while others donned bald caps, and had them painted to look like planets, moons, comets and other celestial bodies during this unique fundraiser that brings together space science education and cancer awareness. The event has become one of the most widely known single-day fundraising events in northern Maine.
Planet Head Day is the major fundraising event for C-A-N-C-E-R, an Aroostook County-based grassroots organization that assists cancer patients and their families. All monies raised during Planet Head Day stay in the County and help those recently diagnosed or in treatment for cancer. C-A-N-C-E-R strives to help patients with travel expenses and other treatment-related expenses.
“Each year we seem to travel further and further ahead — just like the New Horizons mission to Pluto — into being the Aroostook County function with people of all ages wanting to pitch in and help,” said C-A-N-C-E-R board member and event co-organizer Louise Cardone-Calabrese.
She was delighted with the participation of young people. “Community service is something these students need to do, but they were at our event because they wanted to contribute to a cause, a cause that touches all of us on this road of life. I am so very proud of all those students that gave their time and helped in any way they could,” she said. “They found out how rewarding it is to be a volunteer, giving of themselves to help and realize they are a neighbor helping a neighbor.
“I’m hoping more will want to help next year, and come up with ideas to help us raise funds and also awareness,” Cardone-Calabrese added. “I’m so proud of those that participated — they are our future.”
Francis Malcolm Science Center Planetarium Director Larry Berz takes one for science as he has his shaved head painted during Planet Head Day. The annual event raised more than $20,000 to help local cancer patients.
(Courtesy of Michael A. Gudreau)
There was much to do and see at this year’s Planet Head Day. Community members from throughout Maine and nearby Canada stopped by to enjoy the afternoon of food, fun, and science and cancer education. As it has since the first year of the event, Pizza Hut provided free pizza. Water was available courtesy of Aroostook Trusses, and Carol Soucy baked and donated a birthday cake for the 86th anniversary of Pluto’s discovery.
This year, the first people to have their heads shaved and painted were a group of municipal officials from the region, including Presque Isle City Manager Martin Puckett, who was painted as Earth, and Town Managers David Cyr from Mars Hill (Uranus), Jon Frederick from Mapleton (Mars) and James Risner from Fort Fairfield (Mercury).
To provide a complete solar system, several others joined in, including: Father Alex Maria Doss (Jupiter), UMPI Professor Tomasz Herzog (Neptune); C-A-N-C-E-R board member Dusty Graham (Saturn); and Fr. Jean-Paul Labrie (Venus). Richard Engels had his head painted as the recently predicted “Planet Nine.”
“This was the first Planet Head Day after the successful voyage of the New Horizons spacecraft past Pluto,” said event-co-organizer and UMPI Professor Kevin McCartney, whose head was painted as the dwarf planet Pluto for the 10th time. Though Jeanie McGowan, the original inspiration for Planet Head Day who is again fighting cancer, has painted McCartney’s head in the past, this year McGowan’s daughter Katie Maynard did the honors.
Around the room, there were displays related to C-A-N-C-E-R’s efforts, space education and just plain fun. In one spot, a children’s art, game, and prize area was set up, and in another, the Knotty Knitters were providing free, hand-knit hats to all who shaved their heads.
WAGM’s Katie Zarrilli, center, and Louise Cardone-Calabrese, right, board member of Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery (C-A-N-C-E-R), chat with artist Heather Harvell at the recent Planet Head Day at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
(Courtesy of Michael A. Gudreau)
Serving as emcees were WAGM’s Katie Zarrilli and Michael Gudreau of Northeast Publishing. Gudreau took on his emceeing duties after having his head shaved to become Earth. Lynwood Winslow took before and after photographs.
In all, more than 100 “planet heads” of all ages orbited the gym. Several professional hairstylists, including Lisa Norton, Crystal McLaughlin and Myka Smith, along with returning stylists Amanda Durost and Donna Raymond from Great Beginnings Hair Boutique, were on hand to shave, while theatrical “bald” caps offered a less permanent option. The bald heads offered recognition and support for cancer patients who lose their hair during treatment.
Volunteer artists and planet head painters were on hand to transform those blank canvases into the celestial body of each person’s choosing, employing imaginative painting techniques and even hand-crafted cardboard rings.
Planet Head Day, held each year near the Feb. 18 anniversary of the discovery of Pluto in 1930, is one part of the university’s involvement in NASA’s New Horizons space mission. The spacecraft passed the dwarf planet last June and is now heading into the Kuiper Belt, where it should be visiting other objects in the future.
Sponsors for this year’s event include WAGM, Pizza Hut and NAPA, in cooperation with Clukey’s Auto Parts. A video of this year’s Planet Head Day activities, provided by Kevin Blood, is available on YouTube.
Donations can be sent directly to C-A-N-C-E-R, P.O. Box 811, Presque Isle, ME 04769, or call Louise Cardone-Calabrese at 764-0766.
