Francesca Arnaudo was 6 when she lost a bone in her right arm to osteosarcoma. Now 8, the Ripon third-grader was diagnosed in December with a second form of cancer, leukemia. One of the gymnastics enthusiast's first concerns: that chemotherapy for her leukemia would cheat her of the chance to participate in St. Baldrick's day, held each March to raise money for childhood cancer research.

The little girl's solution: to shave her head right away, before her sandy blond hair could fall out due to chemotherapy. Moved by Francesca's decision, the New York-based St. Baldrick's organization chose the two-time cancer patient to kick off the organization's 2005 head-shaving campaign in California. The shave took place at UC Davis Medical Center on Jan. 14. At Francesca's request, Ted Zwerdling, her pediatric oncologist, acted as barber. Afterward, he let Francesca shave him bald. Dino, Francesca's 10-year-old brother, let her shave his head as well.

The St. Baldrick's head-shaving campaign has raised nearly $7 million dollars for childhood cancer research since 2000, when three Irish insurance executives from New York City conceived the idea to have volunteers in cities across the country shave their heads in public on or near St. Patrick's Day in return for financial pledges from friends and family.

To make a pledge in Francesca's name, contact the Keaton Raphael Memorial at (916) 784-6786 or info@childcancer.org. The Keaton Raphael Memorial is a Roseville-based organization that coordinates St. Baldrick's activities in the Sacramento region. The 2005 shave dates are March 17, at the Woodcreek Golf Course in Roseville, and March 19, at the Empire Club in Sacramento. For more information, visit www.childcancer.org or www.stbaldricks.org