By Sabrina Salvacion and Gracie Cobb
The reality of childhood cancer is that 300,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year, and in the United States more children die because of childhood cancer than any other diseases combined. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation exists to change these realities.
Current countries that provides grants to the St.Baldrick’s Foundation.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the largest private, non-government, funder for childhood cancer research grants in the country. Their overall mission is to find cures for childhood cancer and to give survivors long and healthy lives.
By partnering with the countries leading pediatric oncologists, the organizations seeks to provide hospitals with the funds to open high impact clinical trials for rare disease types, fund researcher so that the research that currently exists can be shared will all institutions, train the next generation of researchers to ensure that more research will be done, and to fund supportive care research in hopes of improving the quality of life for patients and survivors.
As a fully volunteer powered organization, from its founders to those involved in spreading the word across the world, The St. Baldrick’s Foundation relies on involvement and donations from the public to continue their fight against childhood cancer.
Percentages and types of cancer incidence rates for children.
St. Baldrick’s head-shaving events are where it all began, and today nearly half a million people have shaved their heads making it not only the most popular fundraiser that St. Baldrick’s sponsors, but also the most profitable. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s head-shaving events began as a challenge between businessmen, but it has grown quickly. The movement began with one head-shaving event in 2000 has grown to over 1,200 events in 2016, and this number continues to grow. Raising critical funds for childhood cancer research, the events take place in pubs, restaurants, schools, churches, parks, malls, military bases, firehouses and just about any other place you could imagine. Even in Peoria, Illinois at Bradley University. The members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at Bradley University have taken steps to join this life saving movement in hopes of saving lives and raise money so that research can continue. 
Awareness is a key goal for both the St.Baldrick’s Foundation and Pi Kappa Alpha.
2017 marks the 10th year in a row that the members of Pi Kappa Alpha have partnered with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This year, dozens of students came and showed their support for St. Baldrick’s and childhood cancer by shaving their own heads. Nick Todd who is currently the philanthropy chair for Pi Kappa Alpha is no stranger to the St. Baldrick’s event.
“It’s something our fraternity does every year, but obviously we are helping a really good cause, childhood cancer, and it bonds us together not only as a brotherhood, but as a Bradley community… ” said Todd.
“Shavees” as they are affectionately called can sign up on the St. Baldrick’s Foundation website, from there they collect money from family and friends much like a walk-a-thon, and finally they show up at a volunteer-organized event in their community to take have their head shaved in front over supporters and other “Shavees.”
The event which brought together Mayor Jim Ardis, who kicked off the event with a short remark, and several other members of the Peoria community raises on average about 20,000 dollars a year for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. While an event like this may seem simple, it takes months for everything to come together.
“Pretty much since the beginning of the semester the semester, that’s how long I’ve been in contact with St. Baldrick’s and they’ve been helping me the whole way, and they made it pretty easy,” said St. Baldrick’s chair and Pi Kappa Phi member Daniel Munson.
For many people, the various fundraising events that the St. Baldrick’s Foundation sponsors hit close to home. David Gleson says this is why he is glad that his fraternity is a part of such an amazing cause.
“Aside from the free hair cut, it’s a great way to give back, it’s something we can actually do. It’s our primary philanthropy we do every year, so every year everyone spends months on end raising money…” said Gleson, who also stated that, “Over the last three years I’ve been able to raise 600 dollars a year for the cause,” said Gleson.
The impact of events such as this is undoubtedly life changing and according to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation one donation creates a ripple effect. One donation or St. Baldrick’s sponsored event affects the research and efforts of more than 370 institutions on all 7 continents which means that since it began the St. Baldrick’s Foundation has raised more than $203 million dollars, provided at least 1,120 grants to organizations in at least 27 countries. The fight is not over, but because of the work of St. Baldrick’s and organizations like Pi Kappa Alpha there are many children who’s lives will continue to be benefited.