Losing his locks for a good cause

June 17, 2008 01:30 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

(Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff)

Principal George Paul of the Louise Davy Trahan School in Tewksbury shaved his head today to raise $3,000 for Children's Hospital, where one of the school's students is being treated for Leukemia.

By Kate Augusto, Globe Correspondent

Since kindergarten, Tewksbury second-grader Leah Difronzo has spent much of her time at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital battling leukemia. Today, her school principal is going to get a buzzcut to celebrate the end of a fundraiser in her honor.

George Paul, principal at the Louise Davy Trahan Elementary School, said he’s glad to do it for Difronzo.

“She’s a tough kid. She’s bounced back many times,” he said.

For about two weeks at the beginning of this month, the Parents Advisory Club challenged students at the school to raise $3,000 for the arts and crafts floor of Children’s Hospital, where Difronzo has spent most of her time since October. As an incentive, Paul agreed to have his hair shorn off today in two phases -- first at a lunch for kindergartners through second-graders, then for third- and fourth-graders.

“I don’t think Mr. Paul thought they would raise the $3,000, but they surpassed,” said Maryellen Sullivan, a school secretary.

Though Difronzo probably won’t be able to come today because of her illness, her brother, a fourth-grader at the school, will watch, and the school will send photos to her of the buzzcut events.