INDIANAPOLIS -- Joey Chamness’ journey with cancer began three years ago. After playing an indoor soccer game, the Indianapolis boy complained of leg pain.

"I got an X-ray. They saw the tumor and they thought it might be an infection, but it was cancer," Chamness said.

A malignant mass called osteosarcoma was spreading in his thigh. To stop it, Chamness endured several operations to remove the diseased bone.

Chemotherapy followed, and so did hair loss.

Fast forward to today: The 11-year-old is now cancer-free and walking with crutches following what he hopes will be the last surgery on his leg.

But Joey is deliberately sporting a bald head.

"I like it. It's for a good cause," he told 6News Staying Healthy reporter Stacia Matthews.

The cause is the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a charity that hosts head-shaving events to raise money for young cancer patients and research.

The charity asks its volunteers, which it calls “shavees,” to lose their locks in return for financial pledges.

Passion for the cause caught on at St. Thomas Aquinas, where Chamness attends school with roughly 225 other students.

The buzzing of clippers began weeks ago in honor of kids like Joey.

"It's good to be nice to people," said Nick Clifford, a third-grader who doesn’t know Chamness personally.

Clifford proudly showed off his newly shaven dome with a big grin.

"It’s important they (sick children) don't feel alone and they can feel like everybody else," he said.

The more heads shaved, the more money for childhood cancer research.

"Right now I have $810 and I was hoping to raise $1,000," said Mitch Morris, one of Chamness’ classmates.

Morris isn’t the only fifth-grader who agreed to the shear challenge.

"So far, (I’ve raised) $100, but I'm going to get a lot more," said Noah Wischnewski, another classmate.

Right now the majority of the students are enjoying spiked Mohawk haircuts.

“It was a Mohawk, but it couldn't stick up, so I just played around with it," said Morris as he showed off his not-so-spiked mane.

"My parents would never let me have a Mohawk, so I get to have a Mohawk for a couple of days," chimed in Robby Chamness, Joey’s twin brother.

Not too many girls would wear such a coiffure, but second-grader Rachel Roscoe did, hoping to raise awareness.

"I'm going to get my Mohawk shaved off. I'm going to be bald for my First Communion,“ she said.

The Mohawks get mowed on March 28, the day the school has dedicated to officially celebrate St. Baldrick’s Day.

Last year, 40 students and staff members shaved their heads and collected more than $22,000 for the charity.

They hope to far exceed that this year. It’s a small sacrifice to help a classmate and support a worthy cause. Joey Chamness invites everyone to make a stylish statement to conquer cancer.

"You should shave your head, well, don't really have to shave your head; you can just donate money,” he said.

If you would like to donate to the St. Baldwick’s Foundation, call 1-888-899-BALD.