The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, headquartered in Pasadena, California and hosts events across the globe. Events have taken place in all 50 US states and 24 countries. The foundation raises money for childhood cancer research primarily through head-shaving events. Volunteers, sponsored by family, friends and employers, go bald in solidarity with kids who typically lose their hair during cancer treatment.
The concept of St. Baldrick's was devised in 1999 by three Irish-American reinsurance executives from New York City, and grew from a single event to a nationwide effort in a relatively short period of time, now known as the world’s largest volunteer fundraiser for childhood cancer research. The founders decided to turn their St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for pediatric oncology research by shaving their heads, thereby showing solidarity with children undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Therefore, the name of the Foundation is a play on the words Bald and Patrick - going bald on St. Patrick’s Day, led to St. Baldrick’s.
Since 2000 through May 2009, the St. Baldrick's Foundation has raised over $66 million, hosted over 2,300 head-shaving events and shaved over 100,000 heads in 50 U.S. states and 24 countries.[citation needed][1]
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation became a non-profit organization in late 2004 and makes grants to research organizations that meet stringent criteria and share the foundation’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and emphasis on research. 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. St. Baldrick’s Fellowships enable some of the most promising new doctors to pursue pediatric cancer research as a career. Since 2005, St. Baldrick's has funded 24 Fellows across the country.
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