For 10 years, Shields has been a tireless volunteer serving area youth.  Shields has organized several projects from offering free haircuts and hair styles to providing bags and school supplies.

It’s good to be called a Community Champion, and Molina Healthcare’s choice of honorees has always been good choices, and often long overdue recognition. So, it’s truly special when someone like Molina spotlights these wonderful good citizens, as others have overlooked those wonderful accomplishments.

St. Louis resident Craig Shields of St. Louis County will receive the honor of the Advocacy and Civic Leader Community Champions Award from Molina Healthcare as one of the unsung heroes who works behind the scenes to make Missouri a better place.  The fourth annual Molina Healthcare of Missouri Community Champions Awards Dinner will take place Thursday, March 29 in St. Louis.

Six everyday heroes will be honored for their extraordinary service and civic contributions. Each honoree receives a grant to be given to an organization of their choosing and a Molina Healthcare Community Champions Award trophy, named in honor of Molina Healthcare’s physician founder, Dr. C. David Molina.

“Molina Healthcare is excited to honor the extraordinary work of everyday heroes in our community like Craig Shields,” said Tina Gallagher, presidentof Molina Healthcare of Missouri. “Craig has inspired many through his commitment to bettering the lives of inner city youth, and we are proud to acknowledge his efforts with a Community Champions Award.”

For ten years, Shields has been a tireless volunteer serving the youth in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. As an honored leader, Shields has organized several projects from offering free haircuts and hair styles to providing book bags and school supplies in order to build self confidence in school-aged children. Through his leadership and enthusiasm, Shields’ efforts have helped better people in his community who need assistance. Shields will be donating his $1,000 grant award to The Craig Shields Foundation whose mission is dedicated to developing city youth into leaders by being a source for educational opportunities, mentorship and vital resources.

Over 200 people are expected to attend the awards dinner and festivities at the New Northside Conference Center in St. Louis, which will include musical entertainment by the Eddie Randal Trio and a dance performance from spirit dancer, Dionne C. Keely.

Other recipients of a Molina Healthcare Community Champions Award are:

Charlene Huskey–Faith

Based Organization; Don

Brown–Support Group or Service Club; Aracely Van

Kirc–Volunteer Award; Amy Peck Abraham–Education

Award; and Monica Adams–Health Care

Media Award

A Community Champions Award has become a

welcomed and cherished recognition, because the

honorees and the community do matter.

Hundreds of children poured through the doors for the annual Craig Blac’s Community Cuts for Kids event. This Sunday’s mammoth task was to cut or style the hair of over 300 children before their return to school.

A 30 strong team containing a mixture of both experienced stylists and students from the Paul Mitchell hair college here in St. Louis, crammed in to the Monsanto YMCA on Page Avenue for four hours of hair cuts, hot dogs, school books, screaming and Moon Bounce. Those of you who have never had a go on a Moon Bounce, you don’t know what you are missing. Quite frankly I was a little upset they deflated it before I had my turn.  Click here for more…

Tim Ezell and Craig Blac, with Community Cuts For Kids, want to make sure kids have a full tank of confidence when they hit the classroom.

Cardinals second basemen Skip Schumaker also joined in to talk about the program.

10th Annual Community Cuts For Kids
Sunday, 8/14

2pm-6pm

3 Locations:

Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club
Monsanto YMCA
Mary Brown Center in East St. Louis

For the inaugural Craig Blac Community Cuts for Kids in 2001, then-radio star Craig Blac was backed by his station, Q 95.5 FM, eight barbers and a guest spot by then-hot new hip-hop group Philly’s Most Wanted.

Fifty young people headed back to school with haircuts courtesy of the event, and it was considered a resounding success.

Ten years later, much has changed. Both Q 95.5 and Craig Blac became casualties of the radio game. Philly’s Most Wanted faded into the oblivion occupied by one-hit rap wonders.

Click here to read the full article…
By: Kenya Vaughn