Dayna Halprin gets her hair pinned up prior to shaving. She was donating her hair to Locks of Love under the watchful eye of Lord of the Trout, Lou Monteleone. Erin Allen, owner of Image of Beauty in Liberty, gets the honor of cutting Dayna’s hair.
Story and photos by Carol Montana
LIBERTY, NY (March 14, 2011) Fay Cerullo’s son Ryan has been in remission for five years from Hodgkins Lymphoma and is considered cured. But that hasn’t 
stopped the Liberty mother from continuing her crusade to raise money for St. Baldrick’s, the national organization dedicated to eradicating children’s cancers through research.
Cerullo got involved in 2005 when her son was diagnosed. “There was another young man on the ward who had cancer and his family had been involved in St. Baldrick’s in Nanuet for about two years. So when both kids were well enough, we traveled down there and I just saw the most amazing, fun, electric fundraiser and I decided I can do that.”
Being involved was good therapy said Cerullo, “it’s a way to give back to the doctors and research facilities that were involved in treating my son. And I just hope that other children in the future don’t have to go through what my son went through.”
She’s looking for someone to take over and coordinate the Liberty St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser, or at least co-coordinate the event. With both of my sons graduating high school, I won’t have access to a lot of younger students. I love to marry the students and the community, which is why I get the kids involved in the school, but I hold the event outside the school, so that everybody can participate.”
With help from Thunder 102 radio, the Sullivan County Democrat’s Jeanne Sager, Lord of the Trout Lou Monteleone and lots of others, the previous events have raised $61,000. And on Friday’s, March 11 there were around 50 shavees. Cerullo estimated the day’s total at over $10,000.
You can still donate by going to St. Baldrick’s / Liberty Firehouse or by calling Fay Cerullo at 845-798-4740.
The Catskill Chronicle 
I was very touched reading about how Fay handled her crisis and became a vital part of fund raising.
I have to admit, whenever I had read of people donating their hair, all I heard was that it was being used to make wigs for children who lost theirs through cancer. I, frankly, thought it was rather odd when there are such beautiful artificial hair wigs out there and all the girls who I know who have needed wigs are wearing them.
Now I see that the money is used for research. I think that has to be emphasized. It is truly wonderful. God bless those who work so hard for this cause.