COG Chair Dr. Doug Hawkins and COG site Lead CRA Abigail Moskov in 2022
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Caring and Healing Together – St. Baldrick’s Foundation believes in the power of research and community Photos Submitted
By Becky Weaver, Chief Mission Officer, St. Baldrick’s Foundation
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is famous for its head-shaving events, but its purpose is much greater. Chief Mission Officer Becky Weaver and her team have built a visionary strategy to help COG researchers and families conquer kids’ cancer. Hear from Becky about a few ways you can help advance research and fuel expert pediatric cancer care (no head shaving required). It’s been 25 years since the first event and 20 since the St. Baldrick’s Foundation was formed, and I’m happy to have been part of it all. We’ve become famous for our head-shaving events, with thousands of people shaving their heads in solidarity with kids being treated for cancer.
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Collectively, those bald heads have raised $350 million dollars for pediatric cancer research and given kids the confidence to hold their head high, even without their hair. This year, gifts big and small, allowed us to distribute $13.7 million to hospitals, research institutes and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Foundation.
But behind the scenes, we’re doing a lot more than recruiting advocates all across the country for fundraisers with creative names like “Shave for the Brave” and “Rock the Bald” and “The Shave that Saves”.
During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I want to give you some insights into the depth of our dedication and highlights of the hope we have for the future. I also want to share a few ways that you can help be an even greater champion for COG – because the bigger and more determined our community is, the more lives we can save.
But behind the scenes, we’re doing a lot more than recruiting advocates all across the country for fundraisers with creative names like “Shave for the Brave” and “Rock the Bald” and “The Shave that Saves”.
During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I want to give you some insights into the depth of our dedication and highlights of the hope we have for the future. I also want to share a few ways that you can help be an even greater champion for COG – because the bigger and more determined our community is, the more lives we can save.
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Securing more federal research dollars for childhood cancers
Early on, our St. Baldrick’s Foundation team realized only a small portion of federal cancer research dollars are allocated to pediatric cancers. So we set out to help change that. As the co-chair for the Alliance for Childhood Cancer, we’re one of more than a dozen nonprofits and clinical organizations that take pediatric cancer research and care priorities to our representatives in Congress. Alongside families and clinical leaders, we meet with dozens of legislators and share insights into how their support will keep us on track to make even more transformational discoveries. |
14th Annual Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days, 2024
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The Alliance’s greatest achievement came in 2018 when we successfully passed The Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act. This legislation includes things like funding for rare tumor research, studying the biological changes of cancers that relapse and collecting biospecimens for patients enrolled in clinical trials. For survivors, the STAR Act is allowing COG scientists to do more research into the late effects of childhood cancers and those patients’ long-term care needs.
In 2024, one of the Alliance’s biggest priorities was passing the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, which reduces regulatory burdens to allow greater flexibility to reach out-of-state providers for children with complex medical needs like cancer.
Ensuring the best treatments are accessible to every patient
It’s been a decade since COG leaders told us about their bold idea to make one central research biobank for all pediatric cancer studies. Right away, we knew this effort would maximize the opportunity to study pediatric cancer at every angle.
And since those first years, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation has been a proud steadfast supporter of Project:EveryChild. Today, because of sustaining gifts from many other nonprofits and individual donors, Project:EveryChild is serving patients at every COG hospital and streamlining the research process.
In 2024, one of the Alliance’s biggest priorities was passing the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, which reduces regulatory burdens to allow greater flexibility to reach out-of-state providers for children with complex medical needs like cancer.
Ensuring the best treatments are accessible to every patient
It’s been a decade since COG leaders told us about their bold idea to make one central research biobank for all pediatric cancer studies. Right away, we knew this effort would maximize the opportunity to study pediatric cancer at every angle.
And since those first years, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation has been a proud steadfast supporter of Project:EveryChild. Today, because of sustaining gifts from many other nonprofits and individual donors, Project:EveryChild is serving patients at every COG hospital and streamlining the research process.
14th Annual Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days, 2024
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But even with this resource, hospitals need to have a physician and personnel with the capacity to open and manage clinical trials. That’s why we created Infrastructure Grants. These grants are specifically meant for regional and rural hospitals. They provide funds primarily for Clinical Research Associates, to help COG institutions open and treat more children on trials, setting their patients up for the best possible outcome.
Last year we gave Infrastructure Grants to childhood cancer programs in Albuquerque, Des Moines, El Paso and more. |
Maintaining a strong pediatric community
Since the first days of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation our focus has been on ensuring that outside the hospital walls, families see and feel each other's support. Our head-shaving events are one way communities can rally around a child they know. Families can also establish a Hero Funds page and raise money online.
I love that our community offers a place to tell patient stories and raise funds in a child’s name. But after two decades, I’m still devastated by how many families live this cancer experience every year and how many stories turn into memorials. To date, more than 6,000 “honored kid” stories are shared on our website by their loved ones. Each is vulnerable and genuine. We’ll hold on to these stories forever, as motivation to remain steadfast in our mission to support the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.
Since the first days of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation our focus has been on ensuring that outside the hospital walls, families see and feel each other's support. Our head-shaving events are one way communities can rally around a child they know. Families can also establish a Hero Funds page and raise money online.
I love that our community offers a place to tell patient stories and raise funds in a child’s name. But after two decades, I’m still devastated by how many families live this cancer experience every year and how many stories turn into memorials. To date, more than 6,000 “honored kid” stories are shared on our website by their loved ones. Each is vulnerable and genuine. We’ll hold on to these stories forever, as motivation to remain steadfast in our mission to support the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.
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A call to action for kids
Because September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, my ask to you is simple – in whatever way you can, remain a strong compassionate advocate for pediatric cancer. If you choose to fundraise – set your goal higher and reach out to new people. If you want to see more federal research funding allocated to pediatric cancer – join our Speak Up Network. If you want to volunteer, we welcome you and there are dozens of nonprofits large and small dedicated to helping families through their cancer experience. |
14th Annual Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days, 2024
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To every nonprofit large and small raising money for pediatric cancer, our St. Baldrick’s Foundation celebrates your success and loves to partner. This is a team effort and your unwavering commitment and creativity in inspiring people to give inspires us. To the 10,000 members of the Children’s Oncology Group, we’re working hard for you and we won’t stop raising money until we conquer kids' cancer.
COG Leaders Stand in Solidarity With Patients
Over the years, COG leaders and members have volunteered to lose their hair at a St. Baldrick’s Foundation event.
Dr. Peter Adamson - 2018
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Dr. Andy Kolb - 2019
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Dr. Doug Hawkins - 2022
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Dr. Todd Alonzo - 2023
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