New Mexico Responders to Shave Heads for Cancer Kids

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Santa Fe firefighter, emergency medical technician and nurse Rollin Tylerr Jones is known for taking his lifesaving skills to crises across the nation and around the world — most recently the war in Ukraine. Helping children with cancer became another personal mission, he said, after working with kids as an emergency room nurse.

Jones and Santa Fe Heroes — a group of firefighters, law enforcement officers and military personnel — will be shaving their heads from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 4 at the Fraternal Order of Police, 3330 Calle María Luisa No. 3, to collect money for childhood cancer research.

Jones said he has worked with several children who were facing cancer during his time as a nurse.

"It's really difficult to watch these kids go through that," he said. "I remember these parents that brought their kid in. He was just a really young boy, and he's... slowly dying.

"I think we owe it to these kids to be involved and to support them — and to do what we can to show them that we're there," Jones added.

Santa Fe Heroes is partnering with the St. Baldrick's Foundation — a global nonprofit — on the charity effort.

Jones and others participating in the event will donate their hair to make wigs for cancer patients. According to the foundation, roughly 1 in 264 children in the U.S. will have cancer before they turn 20.

While the event is being organized by Santa Fe Heroes, Jones said anyone willing to collect donations or give up their locks is welcome to join.

"We like to base it around the idea that it's not just firefighters, cops, teachers and nurses that can be heroes. Anybody can have the opportunity to be a hero for a kid with cancer," Jones said.

All the donations collected will fund childhood cancer research grants and local treatment programs, he said.

Attendees at the June 4 event can take part in raffles, play games and get a chance to soak a police chief at the dunk tank.

Jones said the highest donor will win a helicopter ride.

Santa Fe Heroes has reached its goal of raising $20,000 for the event, but Jones said the group hopes to triple that number.