Easton native aids ‘Be Bold, Be Bald’ campaign

Posted November 24, 2010/Published November 26, 2010 The Easton Journal

By. Peter C. Hoye

EASTON — Easton native and Stonehill College alum John Hanawalt found a way to use his design skills to help those less fortunate.

Hanawalt walked across the graduation stage at Stonehill earlier this year and into the working world as the management intern of an international cancer fundraising campaign.

Hanawalt, 25, formerly of Easton, now of Somerville, recently served as the management intern for the nonprofit, Small Army for a Cause’s, “Be Bold, Be Bald!” campaign, and helped raise money for cancer charities.

“Working on ‘Be Bold, Be Bald!’ was incredibly rewarding and a great survey of the nonprofit industry,” Hanawalt said. “The most meaningful aspect of the job was the public facing parts of my work. Getting to hear people’s stories, their reasons for participating, their own experiences with cancer, was a real privilege.”

Hanawalt, the son of Larry and Wendy Hanawalt of Easton, attended Oliver Ames High School in Easton, and later completed his diploma with credits earned at Stonehill through a dual-enrollment program. Hanawalt graduated from Stonehill College in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in visual and performing arts with a concentration in graphic design.

After graduation he found a paid nonprofit management internship with Small Army for a Cause, a nonprofit affiliated with Small Army, an advertising agency in Boston.

The main event of Small Army for a Cause is the “Be Bold, Be Bald!” campaign, an annual, international campaign, to raise money for various cancer charities. Participants pledge to wear a bald cap for 24 hours and some go a step further and shave their heads.

“It is a simple way to show solidarity and respect, as well as an opportunity to talk about cancer,” Hanawalt said.

The campaign began in 2009 in the United States and has expanded to include Puerto Rico and Canada.

Hanawalt was the only paid employee of the nonprofit, where the board and other workers were volunteers.

“Some of the volunteers work for the advertising agency,” he said.

As the management intern, Hanawalt did everything from drafting communications, meeting with the creative team, visual designers, vendors, and the charities the nonprofit donates to. While official totals will not be in until later, Hanawalt said as of late October, the campaign raised more than, $100,000.

The “Be Bold, Be Bald!” campaign is now ended and Hanawalt will be starting a new job at Fenway Community Health, serving as the inhouse graphic designer in the communications department.

“They have a decades long record of serving the GLBT community, leading the way in HIV/AIDS research and advocacy, and providing accessible care to under-served communities. I’m looking forward to proving that design and creative thinking are vital tools for social good,” he said.