Hello friends!! My name is Brittany Hedges, and this year I will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day by going bald for kids with cancer!  I am fundraising for an organization called St. Baldrick's Foundation.  St. Baldrick's Foundation runs events nationwide (even internationally!), where brave volunteers raise money and shave their heads together, for childhood cancer.  All money raised goes to research institutes, with The Children's Oncology Group as the primary grant recipient.  Please feel free to contact me at bh1210@messiah.edu, or on AIM sn: FrHimAln, with any questions! 

You can make a donation "on my head" at St. Baldrick's website: http://www.stbaldricks.org/ShaveePhoto.asp?SolNumber=15327213, or visit their main site to see other ways you can be involved: http://www.stbaldricks.org

You can also call (888) 899- BALD to make a donation over the phone,  or send in your check by mail.  Checks can be made payable to St. Baldricks- Stafford, VA, and my name (Brittany Hedges) must appear in the memo line.  You should also print out a donation form from the st. baldricks website, or else it will be counted as an annonymous gift  Checks can then be sent to

St. Baldrick's Processing Center
  c/o RT Lawrence
  14111 Freeway Drive, Suite 200
  Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

Thank you so much for your time and donation, as well as your prayers for the sufferers of childhood cancer.  With your help, a cure is near!

The Cause

·        Childhood cancer kills more children than any other disease.

·        St. Baldrick’s is a worldwide head-shaving event that raises money to support childhood cancer research. 

·        The primary beneficiary of our efforts is the Children’s Oncology Group – the world’s foremost network of childhood cancer researchers. 

·        In 2005, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation established the first St. Baldrick’s Fellowship, to encourage promising new medical professionals to pursue pediatric cancer research as a specialty.  Our first Fellow is now in place at Schneider Children’s Hospital, a respected COG institution near the birthplace of St. Baldrick’s in New Hyde Park, New York.

·        Cancer is the #1 disease-killer of children with 12,500 diagnosed every year in the United States – or 2 classrooms full of children every school day. 

How St. Baldrick’s Was Born

·        St. Baldrick’s is the brainchild of three Irish reinsurance executives from New York City.

·        St. Baldrick’s Day is a play-on-words with St. Patrick’s Day, a byproduct of the founders’ ethnic roots coupled with celebrations held on or near St. Patrick’s Day.

·        St. Baldrick’s, launched in 2000, was started because (1) three friends decided to give back to society; (2) one of them was particularly attached to his hair; and (3) they were Irish and typically celebrated St. Patrick’s Day together.

·        In a sign of solidarity with childhood cancer patients who often lose their hair as a result of the treatment they receive, they decided to part with theirs.

·        They recruited volunteers to shave their heads in public in return for financial gifts from friends and family that were donated to childhood cancer research.

·        The first St. Baldrick’s Celebration was held on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2000 at Jim Brady’s pub in downtown New York City with the initial goal of having 17 people raise $1,000 a piece for a total of $17,000.  They exceeded that goal and had 20 volunteer shavees raise over $100,000.

Interesting Facts & Stats

·        To date, nearly 16,000 shavees – more than 1,000 women - have shaved their heads at 554 St. Baldrick’s Celebrations, raising over $12 million dollars.

·        St. Baldrick’s Celebrations have been held internationally in Bermuda, Canada, France, Iraq, Ireland, Poland and the United Kingdom.

·        Several celebrities have been barbers and shavees, including: Jay Leno (NBC, Tonight Show), Michael Douglas, Evan Marriott (NBC, Joe Millionaire), Damon Lusk (NASCAR driver) David Blaine (magician), Eddie McGee (Big Brother) and Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets).

·        In 2006, an estimated 10,000 shavees and volunteers are expected to donate over 150,000 volunteers hours leading up to and including the 300 St. Baldrick’s Day Celebrations they will participate in. 

About the St. Baldrick’s Foundation

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

·        The St. Baldrick’s Foundation became an independent non-profit organization in 2004 to provide year-round support to our constituents, foster growth of the event as a vehicle for fundraising and provide a structure to contain costs and guarantee the greatest share of proceeds possible will always reach the researchers who need the funds to fuel their work to save children’s lives.

·        The St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s primary grant recipient is the Children’s Oncology Group, a network of physicians, nurses and scientists that treat patients and perform cutting-edge childhood cancer research at 230 member institutions throughout North America and beyond.

·        The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is an independent, IRS approved, 501(c)(3) organization, Federal ID # 20-1173824.

·        The St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s audited financial statements are downloadable on both the public and Members sections of our website. 

·        The St. Baldrick’s Foundation adheres to all the charity watchdog standards of the American Institute of Philanthropy (www.CharityWatch.org), Charity Navigator (www.CharityNavigator.org) and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (www.Give.org).  You can also learn more by visiting GuideStar (www.GuideStar.org).

·        For more information visit: www.stbaldricks.org or call 1-888-899-BALD.