On Friday, May 1, Genoa Middle School 7th grade Guidance Counselor Tim Allen volunteered to have his head shaved in honor of one of his students, Audrey Tanzillo. On April 29, 2014, Tanzillo was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Two days later, she endured a successful, 13-hour surgery to have the tumor removed. Since then, she has received seven rounds of chemotherapy and remains cancer-free. Allen said Audrey is “an inspiration to all,” as she has continued to tackle the 7th grade curriculum from home. Her next goal is to return to school, rejoining her 8th grade class for the 2015-16 school year.
The hair cutting event took place through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. In recent weeks, Genoa hosted several fund raising activities including a bake sale, raffle, car wash and hat day May 1, - the one-year anniversary of Tanzillo’s surgery. The goal was to raise $1,000. So far, the school has raised $2,400. To learn more or to donate, please visit https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/GenoaMS.