Every year in late August and prior to St. Baldrick’s Day, I make a call to local businessman and philanthropist Lou Monteleone to confirm the event’s anniversary year. According to Lou, 2025 marks the twentieth anniversary of the event, which will be observed on Sunday, September 7th at The Pizza Piazza in Eldred, NY. As usual, Lou will be the Master of Ceremony, continuing his tradition of wearing his large very fuzzy green leprechaun hat. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, established in 2005, is the Country’s largest and most successful volunteer-driven organization focused solely on funding pediatric cancer research globally, including projects at institutions such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Given recent reductions in medical research funding, contributions are more important than ever this year to maintain and build on ongoing research efforts.

There is no official Catholic saint named Baldrick; the St. Baldrick’s Foundation combines the concepts of shaving heads for charity and St. Patrick’s Day. Founded in a Boston bar 20 years ago, it has raised over $368 million for pediatric cancer research, making it the largest charitable funder in this field. In 2012, President Obama designated September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, represented by the gold ribbon. While pediatric cancer rates in the US have increased slightly due to environmental factors, survival rates now reach 85% thanks to recent treatment advances.

This year’s St. Baldrick’s Day fundraising starts early, with Lou nearing his $225,000 lifetime goal thanks to Facebook and personal donations. Each year, he aims to raise $10,000. The 2025 St. Baldrick’s Day will include traditional activities. The event begins at noon at Pizza Piazza in Eldred with a bake sale and Tricky Tray. Head shaving starts at 1pm, followed by the Line of Hope Across America at 1:45pm, with seventeen states across America participating.( To participate in the Line of Hope Across America all you need to do is make a sign with an encouraging words or the name of an individual and take a photo and send it to Lou). The Veterans Tribute and the Line of American Pride will start at 2pm. Bidding on the Raffle baskets will be available throughout the event.

Lou Monteleone has not a minute to spare these days, but he told me he keeps going on because “It just break my heart to see kids struggling so much and end up spending their time being a sick patient and not just being a kid.” So, for these past twenty years every September, no matter what, Lou has stepped up and finds the time to have his St. Baldrick event and raise as much money as he can to fund pediatric cancer research projects. 

In addition to donations, the St. Baldrick’s Day event is in need of donated baked goods and raffle baskets both of which raise a lot of money at the event. There will be very nice St. Baldrick’s merchandise for sale. In addition, there will be community support for those being remembered and those currently struggling with their