Your chance to support the Bolts and Cut for The Cure

For hockey players on teams in the playoffs, April and onward through the spring usually means one thing: growing out their hair with playoff beards. Some players, of course, take it to extremes (hello, Scott Hartnell. How is the rebellion against the Empire going?) while others only employ a ragged look.

On April 7th, with two games left in the regular season, several members of the Tampa Bay Lightning will go in an entirely different direction.

You've likely already heard from various sources that several players -- Vincent Lecavalier, Teddy Purcell, Martin St. Louis, Mike Smith, Victor Hedman, Nate Thompson (along with former player Stan Neckar and TV personality Paul Kennedy) -- would be shaving their heads to raise money in support of pediatric cancer research through the Cut for the Cure event. They join other business people from around the Tampa Bay area in doing so.

What has not been said so much is that you have the opportunity to show your support and donate to their cause.

First, let me present an official release from the Vincent Lecavalier Foundation regarding the Cut for the Cure campaign, sent out this morning:

Worldwide, more than 160,000 children are diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year.

On April 7th, close to thirty Tampa Bay business leaders, media personalities and professional athletes, including Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Ryan Malone, Victor Hedman, Teddy Purcell, Mike Smith and Nate Thompson of the Tampa Bay Lightning and even Sun Sports’ Paul Kennedy will be taking a big, if not bold, step forward to help curb this staggering statistic.

They will be cutting it all off and shaving their heads in order to raise money to be donated to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at All Children’s Hospital.

By supporting them and their efforts "to go bald," you are supporting medical research, programming and pediatric care for children and families battling pediatric cancer and blood disorders.

Pledges of all sizes are accepted. Whether $10, or $100, every single dollar counts. Please support Vinny in this effort to build hope and raise dollars for those suffering from this dreaded disease.

To Donate go to: www.pcfcutforacure.org. All pledges are tax deductible to greatest extent allowed by law.

This is where you, the individual, can get involved.

Each player that I have mentioned has an individual donation page set up and a fundraising goal. You're able to donate online to support them . No, I do not believe you can donate in order to support them not cutting their hair. That pretty much goes against the purpose of the event, doesn't it?

The individual pages for the nine Lightning linked personalities are:

• Vincent Lecavalier
• Martin St. Louis
• Victor Hedman
• Teddy Purcell
• Nate Thompson
• Ryan Malone
• Mike Smith
• Paul Kennedy
• Stan Neckar

([Note by John Fontana, 03/15/11 2:31 PM EDT ] Apologies, as some of the above links had not been working before. They are now.)

I'd also like to note that Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Wade Davis is participating in the Cut for the Cure event too. Sort of a shame more Rays and some of the Buccaneers aren't part of this.

Neckar, who is a local businessman now with his Mobile Cigar Lounge , is leading all fundraising right now (he's closest to his goal of $5,000, with $1,865 so far).