ARCH ORTHODONTICS’ ‘PATIENT OF THE QUARTER’ RAISES $5,438 TO FIGHT CANCER IN KIDS

Griffin Lincoln has caused a lot of buzz in recent months.

When the Canton (Mass.) 10-year-old told his Orthodontists, Dr. Andrew Chase and Dr. Robert Chavez at ARCH Orthodontics, about his involvement in the 2012 Boston Children’s Hospital Kid’s Cancer Buzz-Off to raise money to fight children’s cancer, they named him ‘Patient of the Quarter.’ They featured him in their practice’s news releases, website and social media.

Griffin raised funds by writing letters to friends, family and local businesses. He had an Easter egg hunt and a bake sale. The publicity arranged by ARCH attracted added attention, notably from Canton Selectman Gerald “Sal” Salvatori who promised he’d shave his head, too, if Griffin raised $5,000 — $2,500 over his original goal. Momentum built.

At the Buzz-Off in June at Gillette Stadium, Griffin joined 449 others of all ages who had their heads shaved. Lending support was New England Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. In all, over $550,000 was raised at the ‘Buzz-Off.’ It was announced that Griffin raised $5,403 –one of the top fundraisers in the kid’s category. (As of this writing, he has surpassed $5,438.)

“I joined the cause after accompanying my grandfather to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for cancer treatments,” Griffin recalls, “I couldn’t believe all the kids that go there for cancer, too. I knew how hard treatment was for my grandfather. I wanted to help find a cure.”

After the event, Selectman Salvatori came to the JFK Elementary School where Griffin shaved the official’s head in front of his class. He received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Board of Selectman. Salvatori said he was inspired by the story about Griffin in the newspaper. He said, “There’s a lot of attention brought to the negative things kids do. I wanted to highlight the positive things.”

Griffin said he was “grateful for the experience and touched by the outpouring of support and all the kind words and encouragement he received from friends and strangers alike.” His Mom, Susan Molinari, says Griffin has already decided to shave his hair again next year. “He hopes it can grow long enough between now and then to donate it to Locks for Love,” she said.

Griffin said he’s proud of himself: “I had the choice to give up my hair, something kids with cancer don’t have. If the funds raised can give hope to just one kid, it was worth all of the hard work.” Dr. Chase noted, “We’re always looking for patients who go above and beyond in the community to be our ‘Patient of the Quarter.’ Griffin certainly meets our criteria and we’re so proud of his achievements at such a young age.”

Griffin’s personal fundraising page is http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/griffinlincoln/kidscancerbuzz-off/event. For more information about the program, visit http://onemission.org/buzzoff/index.html

ARCH Orthodontics is the Official Orthodontist of Miss Massachusetts and its Scholarship Foundation. ARCH has offices in Stoughton, Bridgewater, Brockton, Canton, Hyannis, Hyde Park, Orleans, Randolph and Westwood, Arch offers free initial consultation including digital photos and panoral x-rays. For more info: http://www.sesameblogs.com/archorthodontics / 1-800-28-SMILE.

Tags: ARCH Orthodontics, Bridgewater MA orthodontist, Brockton MA orthodontist, Canton MA orthodontist, Dr. Andrew Chase, Dr. Robert Chavez