Thirteen men in the University of Maryland’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter had their heads shaved Friday afternoon — bringing their fraternity’s total to 14 bald heads.
Those who volunteered to shave Friday outside the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority house were a part of a fundraising and awareness effort to support one of their fraternity members who was diagnosed in December with a rare form of bone cancer, osteosarcoma. Mike Mandl, a senior economics major, has been undergoing chemotherapy and had surgery last week to remove a tumor in his shoulder.
The chapter sold $1 raffle tickets for the opportunity to shave a volunteer’s head and $3 bracelets that read, “Cancer can’t handle the Mandl” — based on a phrase Mandl’s fraternity brothers have always used to describe his perseverance — and raised about $2,500 by the end of the event. The money will be divided between this university’s Relay for Life and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, according to the event’s Facebook page.
“It’s never good to hear one of your good friends has bone cancer, but I think it brought us all closer together,” said Yuval Elkun, the chapter’s philanthropy chair and a sophomore cell biology and genetics major. “We’re all trying to go toward one common goal: raise money to help him out and raise awareness.”
Mandl is taking the semester off to receive treatment but said his surgery was successful. While he was upset that he was unable to attend the fundraiser Friday because of his recovery, he did Skype in to see parts of it, he said.
“I’ve gotten used to being bald, but it kind of makes me feel closer and the bond of my fraternity feels a little bit stronger,” Mandl said. “Having so many people shaving their heads just to honor me, it’s very humbling.”
Sophomore biology major Farshid Teymourian didn’t hesitate to get involved with the event, even if it meant parting with his curly locks, he said.
“I normally never get my head shaved short at all, but Mandl was the reason that I chose to join my fraternity, so I’m doing it as a tribute to him,” Teymourian said.
For the past few months, Mandl has been in the hospital about four days a week for his chemotherapy treatments, said Megan Hennessy, his girlfriend. He will continue treatment once he’s recovered from his surgery to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back, she said.
“Mike’s always been a big part of the fraternity; he loves the fraternity and the brothers,” said Hennessy, a senior communication major. “To see everyone rally around him has really lifted his spirits. … It means the world to him. … Just to hear the difference in the voice, so happy, so positive — it’s great.”
Mandl said he is happy some of the proceeds are going to the Ulman Fund, a group that has been supporting him through his fight against cancer.
“They’ve been able to help me make decisions,” Mandl said. “For people who don’t have the financial means to afford cancer treatment, [they will help], but what they’ve been able to help me out with is they’re so experienced of going through the trip, guiding me step by step through the process.”
Mandl has been able to come back every once in a while this semester to hang out with his brothers, he said, and he plans to return to this university for good this fall to finish his degree in time for December graduation.
“I am really thankful for every brother who shaved their head, and for Yuval, Matt [Brennan], Ed [Murcia], Mike [Barnett] and Matt [Schaney] for helping organizing the event,” Mandl said. “It was very humbling to have so many people that you know come together to create an event for a cause that we all really care about.”
