San Diego locals to shave heads for cancer research

The shavees will join a national effort, termed "St. Baldrick's Day," a series of celebrations at which people shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research and show solidarity with children who lose their hair during treatment. The event, beginning at 7:00 p.m., is open to the public and will feature live music from The Nards and Cash'd Out, a Johnny Cash cover band.

"The Tower23 Hotel in Pacific Beach will be the place to be in San Diego this St. Patrick's Day," announces Kieran Sweeney, President and CEO of Align General Insurance Agency, team leader of the 'Align for a Cure' team, and the event's organizer. "What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than at the beach in San Diego helping to fund a cure for childhood cancer?" Sweeney, a native of Ireland and a friend of the St. Baldrick's Foundation's founders, will be amongst those shaving their heads at the event.

Interested parties can join the 'Align for a Cure' team or register their own team and volunteer to shave their heads on the website. Donations are accepted online and will be collected at the event. For more information or to make a donation, go the St. Baldrick's Foundation website, click on "Make a Donation" and then "Search Teams" for the "Align for a Cure" team or one of the other San Diego teams.

"Everyone is welcome to go to the web site to join a local team of brave shavers answering 'the call to get bald' to raise money for this incredibly worthy cause," continued Sweeney. "Folks can also come along to the event to show their support and enjoy live bands and a festive Irish atmosphere that you wouldn't find on the banks of the Liffey," he adds.

"It's for the kids!" Sweeney reminds us.

Additional St. Baldrick's celebrations are being held nationwide in metro areas including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Denver, Sacramento, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Portland, Baltimore, Indianapolis, and many more. Over 300 events will be held throughout the country with dates and times accessible at the St. Baldrick's Foundation website.

St. Baldrick's events are open to the public. At them, participants have their heads shaved bald in front of a crowd of cheering supporters and fellow shavees, as the clippers buzz away head after head of hair.

St. Baldrick's is one of the few charities where people can get involved in a very meaningful way. Shavees come to identify with cancer patients by personally experiencing a very public aspect of their illness -- the loss of their hair, and all the stigmas that are associated with that.

As it begins its seventh year, St. Baldrick's has already raised over $12 million for childhood cancer research, with nearly 16,000 past shavees -- more than 1,000 of them women -- at 554 events in 38 states and nine countries.

Funds raised at St. Baldrick's celebrations are granted to research organizations that meet stringent criteria and who share the foundation's commitment to fiscal responsibility. Its primary grant recipient is the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a network of over 4,000 physicians, nurses and scientists that treats kids and performs cutting-edge childhood cancer research at its 230 member institutions throughout North America and beyond. COG hospitals treat over 90% of all children with cancer in North America.

One hundred percent of the St. Baldrick's Foundation's donations are generated by St. Baldrick's shavees, organizers, volunteers, staff and board members. Unlike many other charities, the St. Baldrick's Foundation does not receive government grants and does not raise money through mass mailings or telemarketing.

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. This Fellow is now in place at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, NY, a respected COG institution near the birthplace of St. Baldrick's.

Launched in 2000 by three Irish reinsurance executives from New York City, St. Baldrick's Day began when Tim Kenny, John Bender and Enda McDonnell reflected upon their professional and personal good fortune and challenged each other to give back to society.

They decided to turn their industry's famed St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for a good cause. Having known children with cancer, the trio resolved to raise funds for research and show solidarity with kids in treatment by shaving their heads in public, in return for financial gifts from friends and family.

This first St. Baldrick's celebration, held at Jim Brady's pub in lower Manhattan, sought to raise $17,000. The founders exceeded their goal, having recruited 20 volunteer shavees who, together, raised over $100,000.

For a complete listing of St. Baldrick's Day events and for more information about the St. Baldrick's Foundation, please visit www.StBaldricks.org.