Internet Assault Halts Nearly $100,000 in Donations Distributed to Cancer Related Organizations Through National Be Bold, Be Bald Day

A cyber assault that affected such powerhouse businesses as Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Twitter, has also provided a massive blow to a number of cancer charities throughout the United States that benefit from a national fundraising movement called Be Bold, Be Bald! Founded in 2009 by Jeff Freedman, owner of Boston based agency Small Army, Be Bold, Be Bald! is a social movement of thousands coast to coast who wear bald caps for 24 hours to stand in solidarity with individuals facing cancer, and raise awareness and funds to fight the deadly disease. To date, Be Bold, Be Bald! has raised over $1 million and distributed it to deserving organizations dedicated to fighting cancer or improving the quality of life for those undergoing treatments. Due to the nature of the attack, the Be Bold, Be Bald! website was unable to connect to PayPal to process donations for most of the day. "Through Be Bold, Be Bald!, we raise anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 for cancer on this day every year," says Freedman. "We've lost precious time and crucial funds," he adds. The blow is more than just business for Freedman, who started the movement after the devastating loss of his friend and business partner to cancer; it's personal.

As of 5 pm this evening, the attack seems to be resolved, and the donation system is back up and running. However, the damage caused a serious gap in Be Bold, Be Bald fundraising - hurting a number of smaller organizations that rely on that money to help others. "This is a heartbreaking loss that affects so many people - from the participants wearing the caps and raising money, to the organizations that benefit from donations, to the people behind the scenes that make this whole day possible." Freedman, his team, and the thousands upon thousands of Be Bold, Be Bald supporters are refusing to let the outage stop them from their mission. "Hackers can't stop us. We're going to stand to together and work harder over the next few months to raise even more awareness and funds for the fight against cancer," vows Freedman. "The hackers may be able to stop the internet, but they won't stop us."

For more information or to support the Be Bold, Be Bald movement visit www.beboldbebald.org.

About Be Bold, Be Bald!

Started in 2009 Be Bold, Be Bald! is a social movement of individuals, businesses, and celebrities willing to wear bald caps from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep to help raise awareness and funds for cancer fighting charities coast to coast. Though slightly controversial in nature, the Be Bold, Be Bald! movement has raised over $1 million for various organizations all over the country, with participation from such famous faces as Peter Wolf, Kathy Bates, Joan Lunden, Julien Edelman, Jessica Szohr and many more.

Be Bold, Be Bald! was created by Freedman, owner of Boston-based advertising agency Small Army, and his team of talented employees. In 2007, the Small Army family was hit with a tragic blow when co-founder and Creative Principal Mike Connell lost his battle with cancer. Faced with their grief and concern for the future of the agency, the Small Army team channeled Mike's passion to keep their business alive, and dedicated themselves to giving back to those touched by cancer. In Mike's honor, they started Small Army For A Cause, a 501c3 that raises and distributes funds to a beneficiary network of cancer-related charities. "Witnessing Mike's heroic, two-year fight, we saw firsthand the courage and strength cancer patients have," says Freedman. "He inspired us to continue that fight ourselves - and to do so in a way that would truly represent the boldness of Mike and his ideas.

Ring CommunicationsKimberley Ring, 617-957-9232kim@ring-communications.com