Robert Siirila, affectionately called "Barber Bob" by his loyal clients, has been working at the Downing Center Barber Shop for 10 years. His customers love his friendly demeanor and caring personality. He is well-known for entertaining them with stories about life, his experiences, jokes and lively discussions and for the way he makes a true effort to get to know each person who comes into the shop. He encourages everyone to be all that they can be and to lend a helping hand in the community.

Raquel Barrera, a regular customer, said, "My son Steven won't let anyone else cut his hair except Bob."

Little did Barber Bob know that his encouragement would strike so true in patrons' hearts, and that it would later lead them to come together to make a difference in his own life.

Around four years ago, Siirila was diagnosed with liver disease. He has now been on the liver transplant waiting list for 3 ¹/2 years. While his general health has remained good for the most part, he reports that his condition is starting to deteriorate faster. He gets weak and sometimes suffers from kidney stones as the liver disease puts a strain on his kidneys. He is now able to work only a few hours a day and says he is not sure how much longer he will be able to continue working without a liver transplant—yet the cost of his medical bills is high. Frustratingly, Siirila was offered a liver earlier in June, but the offer fell through.

Nine-year-old Daniel Mosko was upset when he learned from his mother Elena that his favorite barber was very sick and might not be able to cut his hair much longer. He decided he wanted to do something to help him. So the Mosko family came up with an idea—the "Kids Help Bob Bake Sale."

Elena Mosko set to work trying to spread the word about Barber Bob's condition and their idea for a bake sale. She sent email to a large group of parents at her son's school, Alta Vista Elementary. She had no idea the lengths to which that email would go.

"It was amazing how much of a response I got," said Mosko. She began getting replies from countless families, including some she had never met, as many forwarded the email on. One resident who received the email, Bob Quinn, who works in marketing, volunteered to draft press releases.

The Kids Help Bob Bake Sale took place on June 19. Many families brought out baked goods, which sold for a mere dollar each. Young Daniel Mosko helped sell fresh lemonade for 50 cents per cup.

When asked what he liked best about Barber Bob and what made him want to help him, he replied, "He's nice. He encourages people to do stuff. I like how he talks to kids like me like they are grown-ups, too."

The bake sale was a huge success. Families who couldn't donate their entire day dropped off baked goods for the sale, and many came by to help run the booth.

"I read Elena's email, and it said we could do all these things to help, or we could just do nothing and go on with our lives. I thought, that's right!" said Sandy Fitzsimmons, a parent with three daughters in the Union School District.

Children marched around Downing Center in front of the Safeway and the barber shop with homemade signs asking people to help Barber Bob by buying something at the bake sale. Local businesses came by with checks to donate to Siirila, and some well-wishers took only a cookie priced at one dollar, but paid with $20 or $40 dollars and asked for no change in return.

Another friendly face at the bake sale was resident Mike Guglielmo, who co-owns the Iron Skillet Restaurant with his partners Tom Monroe and Tom Cotton. The restaurant donated its famous cinnamon rolls—mountains of gooey goodness as big as your head—to the bake sale. Guglielmo said the restaurant is planning Barber Bob Night for July 6.

All in all, the Kids Help Bob Bake Sale brought in an impressive $2,200 for Barber Bob's cause.

"We often hear such depressing news in the world today. To see something like this is just fantastic. It brings tears to my eyes," said Barber Bob.

Siirila encourages more people to become organ donors.

"If more people would become organ donors, the need would not be at such a crisis level," he said. "Organ transplants can save lives."

Siirila thanks the children and the community for all their efforts to help him.

"It's not a matter of how much money they raise, but to see kids get out there and do something like this is just wonderful—it's overwhelming. If I died tomorrow, it would be OK, because I've seen this," he said. "They're my angels—my little angels."

To make a donation to Barber Bob, visit http://www.barberbob.org or call Elena Mosko at 408.266.9875.