History

 

 

Back in 2000, three Irish Americans decided to turn their office St. Patrick’s Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. They came up with idea of shaving their heads in solidarity with children who often lose their hair while undergoing treatment. The three planned to raise “$17,000 on the 17th,” recruiting 17 colleagues to raise $1,000 each to be shorn. Instead, the first St. Baldrick’s event, held on March 17, 2000, raised over $104,000!

 

Now thousands of volunteers have shaved their heads in solidarity for children who have cancer, while raising funds through donations from friends and family. In a short numbers of years these brave volunteers, called Shavees, have raised over $68 million and St. Baldrick’s has become the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research.

 

St. Baldrick’s donors and volunteers made possible over $15 million in funding for childhood cancer research in 2008. This includes 47 grants as well as funding for 30 young doctors who will be tomorrow’s top researchers.

Suzie Ruddle works with Veininnovations as their Senior Vascular Technologist and first became involved with St. Baldrick’s in 2007 through her good friends, Donal and Karen. She first shaved her head at that time and then again in 2009! Donal and Karen’s daughter Ciara was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer rhabdomyosarcoma at 23 months, undergoing 24 months of chemotherapy. Thanks to recent research Ciara is a very healthy and happy 10 year old 5th grader with a passion for reading and loves to Irish Dance.

While St. Baldrick’s raises money for a very serious cause, something strange happens at a St. Baldrick’s event. People who normally shy away from the very thought of childhood cancer find themselves compelled to support the cause after looking into the faces of these brave children who are smiling broadly as their friends and family display their newly shorn heads! Please come experience this unique event for yourself by joining Suzie and Veininnovations at Meehan’s Public House in Sandy Springs on the 13th and in Vinings on St. Patrick’s Day March 17th.