Tim Kenny issues a challenge to colleagues John Bender and Enda McDonnell: How will you give back in return for your own good fortune in business? Enda’s thick head of hair gives John the big idea—shave their heads for donations to raise funds for kids with cancer.
The annual reinsurance industry’s St. Patrick’s Day party, held at Jim Brady’s pub in Manhattan, becomes the first St. Baldrick’s event. The goal of shaving 17 heads and raising $17,000 turns into 19 bald heads and $104,000 donated to fund the research of the Children’s Oncology Group.
After the second event raises $140,000, John and Enda begin plans to expand beyond the reinsurance industry. When terrorists attack on 9/11, the founders lose hundreds of friends and colleagues. Despite the tragedy, they decide to forge ahead, because kids with cancer are still fighting for their lives.
With 37 head–shaving events in the spring of 2002, shaving heads has now raised more than $1 million!
This volunteer - driven event is catching on across the country.
Firefighters, police officers and military troops have been a big part of St. Baldrick’s from the very beginning. Thousands have added head-shaving to their public service, with events in police and fire stations across the U.S., and even military bases in Iraq and Germany!
Founders make the leap—the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is created to maximize this volunteer–driven effort. The priorities: spending as little as possible to raise each dollar, and making sure every donation goes to the best research to find cures for kids fighting cancer.
In its first year as an independent foundation, St. Baldrick’s continues to grow exponentially, raising more than $5.3 million. Proceeds go to the cooperative research of the Children's Oncology Group. The first St. Baldrick’s Fellow is also funded to train one of the next generation of childhood cancer researchers.
This year, $12.9 million is raised by over 18,000 shavees at 402 events. The slate of grants now includes hypothesis–driven research grants, scholar awards, and infrastructure support to help local institutions treat more kids on clinical trials, their best hope for a cure.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation hosts its first Research Priorities Summit, attended by 16 of the most respected pediatric cancer researchers in the U.S. The result is an even more well–rounded set of research priorities and funding types, including a new category to improve the quality of life for patients and survivors.
St. Baldrick’s Summer Fellow awards give medical school or college students a summer to do some great research and potentially launch a new career. Also new: Our very own group of research rock stars — the Scientific Advisory Committee — is established at the second Research Priorities Summit.
The first ever Pediatric Cancer Dream Team is formed. Funded jointly by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer, this four-year, $14.5 million grant sets out to cure some of the most hard-to-treat pediatric cancers. Our global search for cures continues as we fund the first St. Baldrick’s International Scholars, bringing pediatric cancer research expertise to low- and middle-income countries.
"Childhood cancer isn’t a national problem. It’s a global problem. And if we want to cure it, we need to think globally."
- Robert J. Arceci, M.D., Ph.D
St. Baldrick’s grants an unprecedented $27.2 million to childhood cancer research this year – a record-breaking year for grants and fundraising!
As a result of research supported by St. Baldrick’s, the FDA approves a new drug that drastically increases the cure rate for high-risk neuroblastoma patients. It’s only the third approved drug in 20 years made specifically for kids with cancer.
St. Baldrick’s volunteers reach new heights, making possible more than
