Dear Colleagues, Associates. Family, Friends & Neighbors;

Well it’s hard to believe that this will be the 22nd year fighting Childhood cancer with the St Baldrick's Foundation. First I would like to thank every who generously supported my efforts last year to raise lifesaving funds to conquer kids cancer. As a result of your generosity, we were able to raise over $129,000 which in and by itself was enough to fund one grant. I cannot thank you enough for all of your generous support.

2020 was one of the most challenging year for the St Baldrick's Foundation, as it was for all non profits.  Raising funds and awareness for our mission to find a more humane cure fore every childhood cancer in the time of Covid was quite the battle.  The Covid Pandemic had long term supporters turn their attention to Covid Relief related efforts.  While this is understandable, Childhood Cancer did not go away.  In fact because of the pandemic parents were hesitant to bring their child to medical facilities to keep them safe.  This has lead to later diagnosis and later stage cancers being diagnosed.  As we made the decision to take our events virtual last year to protect our St Baldrick's family, it had the result of less participation at events across the world.  Less corporate sponsorships.  All of this resulted in the Foundation missing our fund raising goal by over $20,000,000.  This had a devastating impact on our ability to fund grants in 2020.  As such, promising research was left unfunded.

This is not the first time St Baldrick's has faced significant challenges.  After the horrific terrorist attacks on America in 2001, St Baldrick's, a relatively new, small and largely unheard of foundation we faced a difficult challenge of raising funds for a childhood cancer while the focus, rightfully so, was on the victims of a massive terrorist attack.  But during 2001/2002, much like today, kids were still being diagnosed and dying fro childhood cancer.  So in 2021 much like in 2002, we need a massive bounce back year to regain the momentum in the battle against childhood cancer.

Both then and hopefully now, the Reinsurance / Insurance industry was the driving force in building what would become the largest non-governmental funder of Childhood cancer research in the world. So today I am writing to you today to again humbly ask for your support in my efforts to raise funds for life saving childhood cancer research with the St Baldrick’s Foundation. I will once again be shaving my head in solidarity with kids who typically lose their hair during their treatment of this horrendous disease. As one of the Founders, Chairman Emiratis, and current board member of the St Baldrick’s Foundation, I believe it is important to lead by example by fund raising by shave my head, holding an event and financially supporting the Foundation like we ask all of our supporters to do. To that end I have attached a link to my page of the St Baldrick’s Foundation website in several places in this e-mail for your convenience. Please click here to sponsor my Shave for the kids; https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/1074208/2021

Since 2005, the foundation has awarded over $310,000,000 in research grants. Contributing to hundreds of childhood cancer research projects. We have funded training for the next generation of childhood cancer researchers through our Fellow and Scholar programs, ending what was becoming critical shortage in the field of childhood cancer research. Through our partnership with the Childhood Oncology Group we have funded a significant amount of clinical trials helping treat more children across the United States and globally. This access to care has been particularly important in poorer communities. Our sponsored research has led to at least three new cancer drugs being introduced into the market over the last three years. The first three new drugs introduce in decades. Finally, The Foundation has taken a leadership role in the Childhood cancer community in Advocated for increased government funding for childhood cancer research and access to foreign sourced methotrexate during a critical shortage of this very important chemo drug in the United States. None of this would be possible without your support.

While great strides have been made over the last 20 years, there is unfortunately still a lot of work to be done. Today, before they turn 20, about 1 in 285 children in the US will be diagnosed with cancer. Globally, every two minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer. There are over a dozen different forms of childhood cancers, and countless sub types. These cancers impact infants & toddlers, children, teens & young adults. While 90% of children now survive one type of cancer, the outlook is far worse for those fighting most other types. For some types there is no cure at all. One in five children diagnosed will not survive their battle with cancer. And two out of three will suffer long-term effects from today’s treatment. So there is much work to do. Today’s childhood cancer treatments are often worse than the disease itself. So we not only to find a humane cure for every child facing every cancer, but we need to find a more humane cure. The US Government only allocates 4% of National institute of Health’ cancer research budget to childhood cancer research. The science is here, but the funding is not. The St Baldrick’s Foundation is here to bridge the funding gap. https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/childhood-cancer-facts-10-things-you-should-know

In 2019 financial year, the St Baldrick’s Foundation raised over $35,000,000. We are extremely proud of funding only the best science with the funds we raise. For a more detailed review of our grant process please click this link; https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/a-peek-behind-the-scenes-the-st-baldricks-scientific-review-process .That’s why he have a very stringent process in selecting which grant requests are worthy of St Baldrick’s funding. Please click on the links below to see the foundation’s 2019 highlights; https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/st-baldricks-biggest-grants-release-of-2019, https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/two-canadian-pediatric-cancer-researchers-share-2019-us-canada-arceci-award

https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/pediatric-cancer-dream-team-works-toward-more-breakthroughs, https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/research-outcomes-climbing-toward-cures-for-childhood-cancers

We also made great strides in our advocacy efforts. Please click on the this link to the 2019 advocacy efforts;

https://www.stbaldricks.org/blog/post/speak-up-for-kids-cancer-february-2020. Not only are events where we work, live and play, but our funding also follows that model . Please click here to see grants awarded in your area; https://www.stbaldricks.org/grants And last but most important, a responsible foundation should always be accountable for every penny donated . Please click here to see our most recent financials; https://www.stbaldricks.org/financials

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This will be my 22nd year and twenty third time braving the shave in solidarity with children battling cancer benefitting the St Baldrick's Foundation., I have committed to shave my head each year until we find a more humane cure for every child diagnosed with cancer Thus I again humbly ask that you support my efforts to raise money to fund lifesaving research. Please click here to sponsor me; https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/1074208/2021 

. With help and support from all of you, the day will come when Childhood cancer will be nothing but a bad memory. But until then I commit to shave my head once a year( and sometimes twice) until we find a cure.

This year's event will be at the St Agnes Parish Center on March 21, 2020. If you would enjoy seeing just how bad the grow out makes me look or the mound of hair left in the wake of my shave, please join us in a fun way to raise funds for the serious mission of finding a cure for childhood cancer!!! Thank you again for your generous support!!!!

Thank you from a very grateful

John