“Fixer Upper” star Chip Gaines, who famously shaved his head four years ago to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, issued a fundraising challenge on Instagram in hopes of inspiring a similar outcome.
Now through Friday, Aug. 27, fans, celebrities and other St. Jude supporters will determine the length of Gaines’ next haircut – for every fundraising milestone that is met, additional inches of hair will be trimmed or shaved.
All donations will benefit the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.® Because of generous supporters like Chip and Joanna Gaines, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
Gaines will prepare for his much-anticipated haircut with the help of 16-year-old St. Jude patient Bailey. At age 11, his doctor referred Bailey to St. Jude for treatment of bone cancer after an X-ray revealed a tumor on his left femur. He underwent nearly a year of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, limb-sparing surgery and multiple other surgeries and procedures.
The Gaineses have a rich history of supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In 2017, Chip’s first “Operation Haircut” raised $230,000 via social media. That same year, the couple teamed up with mutual partner Target to renovate the St. Jude patient family dining room at Target House, a long-term “home away from home” for patient families receiving treatment at St. Jude.
In 2019, the Chip Gaines-led “Chip in Challenge” generated an additional $998,000 via social media with the help of some celebrity supporters. The Gaineses visited St. Jude that same year to unveil a garden-themed playhouse designed for all St. Jude kids staying at Target House. It was during this visit that Chip Gaines connected with Bailey, leaving an indelible mark on the Gaineses.
To learn more about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, visit stjude.org and to support this fundraiser with Chip Gaines, visit Instagram or stjude.org/chipin.