Twenty years ago, our then eight-year-old son Joey was diagnosed with a pediatric bone cancer called osteosarcoma. That month we learned about St Baldrick’s, the largest private funder of children’s cancer research which was founded by three insurance execs. At St B’s, volunteers shave their heads in solidarity with kids who have cancer and raise money for research that leads to cures. That year - 2005 - I shaved my head for the first time to raise money for the St Baldrick’s Foundation, and Joey and I were the first “poster boys” at the then-new foundation. Joey beat cancer. He’s now 28 and a young professional living in Austin, TX. Our family is very fortunate … and very grateful.
Over the years I’ve cited many kids of who have been struck by this terrible disease. Some of their stories, like Joey’s, have happy endings. But far too many end in heartbreak. Surgery on Joey’s leg was done at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and he had several extended stays in that hospital. Each of his MSKCC roommates died of the disease, giving us a first-hand reminder of the terrible consequences faced by many kids and their families.
I’ve taken a couple of years off since retiring from NAMIC but I’m going back to baldness as the need for research to save kids lives is greater than ever. When I chaired St B’s from 2013-16 we were on a roll, raising $50 million a year and funding record levels of research that produced live-saving results. As an event-based fundraiser, COVID was very difficult for St Baldrick’s and the kids who depend on the research we fund. We’re still working to get back to pre-COVID levels of funding so I’m asking you to dig deep and fund life-saving research for kids like Joey. I recognize many of you are friends who have given money to fund research on my ugly bald head for two decades now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I hope the kids who count on the research can count on you one more time. If you wonder if your research is making a difference, look around the St Baldrick’s website to see the progress and life-saving therapies that have come from the many research efforts funded by St Baldrick’s.
And one more thing, I’m dedicating this shave to St B’s founder John Bender who has served as a board member for 25 years and will soon conclude his service. John helped recruit me to the board and I succeeded him as Chair. Nobody has a bigger heart, or greater dedication to the cause than John, and nobody has shaved more times than “The Iron Man” John Bender. Well done, my friend.
So thank you again for your friendship, support, and dedication to funding cures for cancers that affect so many children today.
Until a cure,
Chuck
