Every March, first-year catcher/outfielder Taryn Rainey of the Brandeis softball team makes a bold commitment to shave her head for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, holding a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. This year, she is bringing this fundraiser to the Brandeis community to continue raising awareness for childhood cancer.

One of her biggest motivations to keep raising awareness for St. Baldrick's is her grandfather, William Rainey, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and beat cancer when she was in middle school. He has since passed on, but he remains a huge part of her reason to keep the fundraiser going. "I didn't want any parent, any sibling, any friend to lose somebody at such a young age, because I had gone through that type of loss," Taryn said. Her father, Shaun, was also an inspiration to her, as she grew up watching him and his friends shave their heads every March. He was heavily involved with the St. Baldrick's fundraiser at the construction agency he worked for, and she became very interested after watching him donate over the years. Now, Taryn has seen her impact on her friends back in her community as they continue to promote St. Baldrick's. From sharing fundraisers on social media to spreading awareness on other college campuses, Taryn's commitment has made an impact.

Taryn was introduced to the St. Baldrick's Foundation in elementary school, but she didn't start fundraising annually until her freshman year of high school. When COVID hit, many events surrounding St. Baldrick's stopped. Fewer assemblies in elementary school meant fewer people were keeping the tradition alive. When Taryn first started her fundraiser, she had mixed feelings about how she would be perceived. While she was worried about whether she would look okay and the fact that she couldn't reverse her decision at 14, many students were very supportive and applauded her brave commitment. She walked away feeling more empowered that year, raising $1,500. Taryn continued her efforts throughout high school, helping a fellow student, Madison Roberts, who beat cancer, pay for her treatment. This solidified why she decided to make this fundraiser a tradition, saying, "I just want people to be aware that you can make an impact on something that has hurt people for hundreds of years."

Since starting her fundraiser, Taryn has set a yearly goal of $2,000 and hopes to continue helping others fight childhood cancer. This is reflected in her academics, as she wants to major in biochemistry or chemical biology to go into cancer research after college. Taryn believes that by bringing the St. Baldrick's campaign to Brandeis, those searching for a cure for cancer can also see the support. "I want to have an impact on every person that I meet," Taryn says. "Everything that I do, I want to make an impact."

If you would like to help Taryn make a difference, you can donate to St. Baldrick's at https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/1173836/2026.