Tampa children cut, dye Bucs’ hair at Cut and Color Funds the Cure
TAMPA — When Shanella Fisher was unable to dine out during the pandemic, the 13-year-old decided to experiment in her kitchen at home.
Diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2018, Shanella started cooking with her mother, Heather, when she started chemotherapy as a way to manage new likes and dislikes. But it was during the pandemic that Shanella discovered a passion for baking.
“I started making cakes for my friends, for family birthdays, and giving them to our neighbors,” Shanella said.
On Wednesday, Shanella traded in her whisks and spatulas for razors and hair dye. She was among eight children –– all of whom have been diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer –– who dyed and cut Bucs players’ hair at the Cut and Color Funds the Cure event at AdventHealth Training Center.
The fundraiser, in its ninth year, raised more than $66,000 for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
The youngest participant, a 3-year-old named Leo, kicked off the day by shaving chief operating officer Brian Ford’s head. The children took turns as stylists, smiling as they took hair spray and razors to Bucs figures, including 2023 first-round-pick Calijah Kancey and head coach Todd Bowles.
Shanella’s mother said she enjoyed seeing the children interact one-on-one with Bucs players.
“To allow the children to interact with them on this level, embarrassing them — oh my God, I love that,” Heather Fisher said. “It shows they’re humans on top of having a good heart.”
Throughout the event, cheers of “Tampa Bay” broke out. The children also got their hair dyed, turning their heads a shade of red that matched their custom Bucs jerseys. The team’s cheerleaders were there, too, and 3-year old Leo began tossing their pom poms around.
When Bucs linebacker YaYa Diaby lined up in the styling chair in the lobby, he had just one thought running through his mind.
“I was like, ‘Don’t get it on my face,’” Diaby said.
His wish didn’t come true: His face ended up tinged with orange. But Diaby said just seeing the children’s smiles meant a lot.
In between hairstyling and photos, Ford and David Frazer, chief executive officer of the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, spoke to the crowd of families and players. Ford also presented a $40,000 check to Frazer on behalf of the Buccaneers Foundation.
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for American children, Frazer told the crowd.
“We need to reverse that number,” he said.
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, founded in Tampa in 1991, funds research into less toxic, more effective treatments for childhood cancer. Frazer said the organization has spent more than $37 million on research and currently has seven ongoing trials and 30 studies.
Dawn Zachman, Chief Programs and Operations Officer at the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, said Wednesday’s event gave the children a break from the “trials and tribulations” of hospital visits and treatments.
“It’s a special day for each of these kids — a lasting memory,” Zachman said. “It proves that the Buccaneers care about the community they live in.”
While Shanella enjoyed the event, she won’t be moving from the kitchen to the hair salon anytime soon. She plans to one day open her own cafe, called Shanella’s Sweets and Treats.
Her hospital is located near the Bucs’ training center, so she frequently drives by the facility, though Wednesday’s event was her first time visiting. Face-to-face with Bucs’ players, Shanella said she liked their openness to working with the young stylists.
“They’re like, ‘Oh it’s about what the kid wants,’” Shanella said. “‘It’s about what makes the kid happy.’ I think that’s really sweet. Even if (the dye) goes all over the place, they still have a smile on their faces.”
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