NORWICH – “Are you sitting down?”

After being asked for the final funding tally raised by 47 men, women and children who shaved their heads Saturday to benefit childhood cancer research, that was St. Baldrick’s organizer Tracy Chawgo’s warning that good news was on the way.

“$26,000,” said an astonished Chawgo.

Participants raked-in over $3,000 an hour from a packed house at the Howard Johnson’s ballroom, reaching half of the overall total in around four hours. The fundraiser blew past last year’s mark of $16,000 and toppled this year’s goal of $20,000, with more donations expected on the way.

“It was a great night,” Chawgo said. “It’s been overwhelming.”

During an event where everyone let their hair down – literally – not even city Mayor Joseph Maiurano was safe from the shears.

A six-person team of local bartenders gathered nearly $9,000 in memory of Shannon Froio, a 6-year-old girl from Cicero who passed away one month ago after a heartbreaking battle with Leukemia. Team members said it didn’t matter that they didn’t know her.

“I heard her story,” said Norwich resident and two-time participant Beth Mirabito, a bartender at the VFW. “That was all I needed.”