St. Baldricks 2010

My hair is way past annoying me and I'm more than ready to cut it off. I was debating recently on whether or not I should just go on and do it myself, or force myself to wait 'til March and participate in St. Baldricks. I was considering not doing it this year, but then something happened at dinner Thursday night that changed my mind.
We went to O'Charley's for dinner, early so we could beat the dinner crowd. We were shown to our table and as I was taking my coat off, I noticed a couple sitting three tables away. The woman's back was to me, and over her head, all I could see of her husband was from his eyes upward. There was something about those eyes, forhead and hairline that looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't immediately place him and didn't dwell on it. As I was taking my seat I heard someone call out to John and he turned and headed towards that man. As the man leaned towards John to shake his hand, his whole face came into view and then I immediately recognized him. He was a retired volunteer firefighter from our local department.
I got up and walked over to chat with him and his wife, not really expecting the conversation to be long, more of a "hi, how've you been, have a happy new year, blah, blah, blah" kind of thing. But it did turn lengthy.
We hadn't seen this couple in years. We used to occasionally run into them at the store, and I think I last saw the woman when John was in the hospital about 5 years ago. I bumped into her as I was getting off the elevator, but at that time, didn't have time to really stop and talk.
They mentioned how they were empty-nesters now, all three of their children grown and married having given them 5 grandchildren. They mentioned their 3 yr. old granddaughter , Lauren, having a rare form of cancer. The child's mother discovered a lump on the side of her face that proved cancerous.
It's heartbreaking what this child has had to endure in her short life and will still yet have to endure before she over-comes it (hopefully!!).
That made my mind up right then and there. I'll definitely be participating in St. Baldrick's 2010, in Lauren's honor.
I'm going to see if I can't rally a few of the firefighters that were on back when her grandpa was an active member, to help create a team, despite many of these guys already being folicly challenged. ;)
Wish me luck!