I am Co-Chair of the Reinsurance Under 40s Charity Committee again this year and Re Under 40s is continuing to organize the annual (Re)insurance Industry St. Baldrick’s Event in NYC this year. For those of you who are not familiar with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, it is a nonprofit organization that raises money to fund childhood cancer research (historically through headshaving events). The Foundation started 26 years ago and St. Baldrick’s is now the largest funder of childhood cancer research besides the US government, raising over $342M since 2005. It was founded by members of the reinsurance industry, and our industry has led the way in raising funds to drive lifesaving, cutting-edge research to find cures for all childhood cancers.
St. Baldrick's is very near and dear to my heart as my dad, John Bender, is one of the co-founders of the Foundation so I have been involved with St. Baldrick's all of my life from handing out buttons to selling merchandise to becoming a co-organizer, ponytail donator and high school student club coordinator at the Rockville Centre St. Agnes St. Baldrick's Event to now serving as lead organizer of the Killarney Rose St. Baldrick's Head Shaving Event, which was the first event in St. Baldrick's Foundation history.
I have individually raised almost $50,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to date and am a Crusader for a Cure, having been involved with St. Baldrick’s for over 15 years. Having now been in the (re)insurance industry myself for about 2.5 years, I am excited to again serve as lead organizer of the reinsurance-led St. Baldrick's Event at Killarney Rose in NYC on March 12th this year. Last year, the event was able to raise over $700k for childhood cancer research, bringing the Killarney Rose (legacy Jim Brady’s) event to almost $6M raised to date, largely thanks to the (re)insurance industry. This money has funded many clinical trials and led to many new treatments for kids and families batting this horrible disease.
Worldwide, every two minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer and every donation, big or small, makes a difference in helping find a cure for all childhood cancers. I would greatly appreciate any donations you can make to the Foundation and thank you for your continued support for St. Baldrick’s over the years. Hope to see you at Killarney Rose on March 12th!
