Las Vegas Weekly

February 4, 2010 · 5:31 PM

Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque du SoBald supports children’s cancer benefit

By Robin Leach

St. Baldrick's Day at McMullan's Irish Pub in 2008.

Photo: McMullan's Irish Pub

Cast members of the Cirque du Soleil shows on the Strip are joining with crew and staffers for an extraordinary charitable undertaking to benefit Las Vegas children battling cancer. They are renaming themselves Cirque du SoBald to raise $100,000 for the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases here in our valley.

Cirque’s employees, family and friends for the past two years have been the top fundraising team for the annual St. Baldrick’s Day charity event, where volunteers raise funds by shaving their heads. In 2008, Cirque raised more than $21,000 and last year more than $31,000. Now they have created the incredible fundraiser Circus Couture to really raise the bar.

If the Cirque crew raises $50,000 on Feb. 28, when they bring the circus to Rain in the Palms, the St. Baldrick’s group will match it, and -- voila! -- $100,000 goes to the Children’s Center. Circus Couture will feature top Cirque artists and runway models in performance, fashion, art and dance.

Rain’s corridor entryway will be dotted with Cirque’s “art models,” beautifully tattooed people and models, with extravagant hair and makeup that my pal Michael Boychuck’s Amp Salon will create, posing behind gilded frames. After an auction, a separate after-party for fans and sponsors to meet the acrobats, aerialists and performers takes place in Ghostbar to raise more money.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. Funds are raised primarily through head-shaving events around the world. Individuals pledge to shave their heads, in solidarity with kids undergoing cancer treatment, at a St. Baldrick’s event such as the Las Vegas one taking place March 6 at McMullan’s Irish Pub opposite The Orleans. Participants raise money with pledges by asking, “How much would you pay to see me bald?” The funds go toward grants, clinical trials and fellowships for pediatric cancer research, and participants receive a badge of honor to wear at Cirque’s Circus Couture.

The Children’s Center here is a pediatric cancer clinic founded by Dr. Jonathan Bernstein that provides specialized care for children undergoing cancer treatment in an environment designed to be kid-sized and kid-friendly. The Children’s Center is Nevada’s only childhood cancer center where children can receive medical care regardless of their parents’ ability to pay. Resources are tightly stretched, and there is a waiting list of nearly 60 children in need of treatment.

The co-founder and team captain of Cirque du SoBald is Erica Linz, who will be the first person shaved during the show. Erica said: “My friend’s son was treated at the Children’s Center before losing his fight with leukemia at age 9. I have spent time at Dr. Bernstein’s clinic getting to know their operations. He is a doctor who truly cares for his patients. He talks with kids about the long-term effects of chemotherapy along with their parents. His staff is dedicated, and he is brilliant at what he does.

“However, by making the choice to treat children whose families can’t afford care, he has had to make sacrifices in the infrastructure of his clinic. They use every inch of their space as efficiently as they can, but they are desperately in need of help to meet the growing needs of our community. The current economy has caused charities across the country to suffer and caused many to lose jobs and insurance. At the clinic, the waiting list for treatment is getting longer, while grants and funding opportunities are harder to come by. I think this match from St. Baldrick’s to the Cirque volunteers is an extraordinary opportunity for us to make a tangible difference for their clinic.”

Presale tickets for Circus Couture at Rain on Feb. 28 are $35, or $45 at the door. The Ghostbar after-party is an additional $15. VIP tables are available by contacting Brett Palmer at (702) 217-0429 or vipcircuscouture@gmail.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

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