I’ve long been fascinated by Catholic saints, but, until yesterday, I’d never heard of Saint Baldrick.
Have you?
Turns out, Saint Baldrick isn’t actually a Catholic Saint at all, but he does work miracles. Born in 1999 thanks to the altruistic imagination of three Manhattan businessmen, Saint Baldrick owes his name to the clever combination of Saint Patrick’s Day and Bald.
And, before you think someone, maybe even a three-times a week blogger, has been sippin’ the Jameson during Lent no less, know this: Saint Baldrick has donated more than $224 million to childhood cancer research since 2005.
As a result of research supported by St. Baldrick’s, the FDA approved a new drug in 2015 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.
It all started with three guys in a bar on Saint Patrick’s Day who wanted to make a difference in this world. They came up with a fundraiser in which people solicited donations and then had their heads shaved. The initial event raised $104,000, all of which went to children’s oncology research.
Since then, the movement has expanded globally.
Yesterday, we attended a Saint Baldrick’s event in Fond du Lac. We weren’t sure what to expect but we ended up so inspired I nearly jumped on stage to have my own head shaved.
We watched as brave soul after brave soul climbed the stage and, after collecting donations for having their head shaved, sat down and became completely transformed.
Hats off to Saint Baldrick and the generous people who donate their time, their money and their hair to the life-prolonging research so necessary in the global fight against cancer.
To learn more about this cool cause, CLICK HERE.
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