Southern Vermont College Baseball Set to Shave Heads with Newbury in Support of Vs.-Cancer Foundation, Kirstin Hodges to Throw Out Ceremonial First Pitch

BENNINGTON, Vt. – Southern Vermont College Baseball is once again set to host its head-shaving event in support of curing kids' cancer, taking place this Saturday, April 5 at Bill Epstein Field on the SVC campus.

The shaving will take place following the New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader with Newbury College which has also graciously accepted to partake in fundraising efforts and clipper usage.

Kicking off the day will be a ceremonial first pitch by honorary Mountaineer and 16 year old Kirstin Hodges. Hodges, a nearby resident and patient at The Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center, has been in remission from a cancerous brain tumor since 2008 when she was only 10 years old. The Children's Hospital is the only state-of-the-art facility that provides comprehensive care for children in northeastern New York and western New England. In December, the Mountaineers greeted her to the SVC campus to meet and welcome her into the team for the 2014 season. The Newbury and Southern Vt. doubleheader will then begin at 1 p.m.

The Mountaineers again raised money this year and will continue to draw donations leading up to Saturday's event when each of the players and coaches will take the cutters to their hair following the conclusion of the doubleheader. The Nighthawks have also agreed to partake, establishing the first year of a friendly competition between the two squads. The team to raise the most money will take home bragging rights, but both sides will assuredly bring back to their campus a strong sense of goodwill and pride in knowing that they have helped a little in the fight against kids' cancer. Last year, SVC raised over $6,500 for the cause.

"I'm glad both teams have taken this fundraiser seriously and that Kirstin will be able to be a part of this year's event," said SVC head coach Dave Gage. "I'm excited to again shave my head and continue fighting the cause. It should be a fun day for everyone."

All proceeds raised will benefit the Vs. Cancer Foundation, an organization dedicated to saving kids' lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts. People looking to make donations can log on to svc.vs-cancer.org. To donate directly or for more information, please contact Coach Gage at 802-447-4662 or dgage@svc.edu.