Hair Loss News

Happy St. Baldrick’s Day!  Say what…?  You mean St Patrick!   No, you heard right, we do mean St. Baldrick.

Ok, maybe there isn’t a saint called Baldrick who removed all the baldness from Ireland, but there is an organization called St. Baldricks which raises money for charity by having people shave their heads.

This organization, which began as little more than a light-hearted fundraiser on St. Patrick’s day in 2000, has evolved into an international charity that to date has raised over $20 million for child cancer causes.

How it all started

St. Baldrick’s is a fusion of ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ and ‘bald,’ as the original head-shaving event took place on St. Patrick’s Day in 2000.

It all started when three reinsurance executives from New York City, Tim Kenny, John Bender and Enda McDonnell turned their annual St. Patrick’s Day party into a fundraiser; shaving their heads in solidarity with children who have cancer.

They recruited volunteers to shave their heads in return for donations from friends and family for the cause of childhood cancer research.

The first St. Baldrick’s event was held on March 17, 2000, at Jim Brady’s pub in New York City with the initial goal of 17 people each raising $1,000 for a total of $17,000. They exceeded that goal; 20 volunteer shavees raised over $100,000.

From there it just grew and between 2000 to 2006, more than $20 million has been raised and more than 26,000 heads have been shaved!

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation makes grants to research organizations that meet stringent criteria and who share the foundation’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and emphasis on research.

The foundation supports cooperative research on a national scale to help doctors work together to develop the best treatments for all children with cancer. St. Baldrick’s research grants help fill crucial funding gaps at medical institutions where children are treated for cancer, ensuring the finest care for every child.

So while you are out celebrating St. Patrick’s day today, have one less green beer and instead donate that money to a good cause by supporting St. Baldricks.  He may not have been a real saint, but St. Baldrick is definitely doing a saintly job.

Website: http://www.stbaldricks.org