For St. Patrick’s Day 2009, I’m shaving my head.  And so are many of my friends and classmates.

And no, vast quantities of Guinness have nothing to do with it.

We are participating in a St. Baldrick’s Foundation event to raise funds for childhood cancer research.  Participants will either shave their heads or donate their hair to make wigs for a child in need.

Since its inception in 2000, St. Baldrick’s has raised more than $50 million and grown into the world’s largest fundraising event for childhood cancer. Worldwide 160,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year and despite tremendous progress, cancer remains the top disease killer of children in the U.S. and Canada.

My medical school class at Tulane University School of Medicine has the goal of beating last year’s event, which raised over $63,000. We’re well on our way, but we need your support.

The Student Doctor Network is currently sponsoring SDN membership for those who donate to the St. Baldrick’s foundation.  To get an SDN subscription, you will need to donate that subscription amount or higher to St. Baldrick’s.  For example, Gold status is $45 for one year or $75 for two years, so if you make a $75 donation to St. Baldrick’s, you will get a two year Gold status membership to SDN.

The link to donate is here (click on photo on the page): http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/shavee_info.php?ParticipantKey=2009-64188

In order to obtain your SDN membership, please email the receipt you receive from St. Baldrick’s to Anna@studentdoctor.net.  You must request an email receipt at the time of donation.

While battling cancer, children may lose not only their hair, but years of their childhood, and sometimes their lives. In comparison to their struggle, cutting my hair is a small sacrifice, and the money raised will make a difference for children with cancer now and in the future.

Beyond the money raised, my medical school class is banding together for this cause to show solidarity and support for the children and families affected by childhood cancer here in New Orleans and across the country.

So, I am asking you to help me raise as much money and awareness as I can for the foundation to fund as much research as possible!   Please donate now.

The loss of Riley and Claudia has devastated their families, friends, and those lucky enough to have known them.

SDN has established The Riley & Claudia Memorial Fund in an effort to ease the financial burden on the girls’ families and to establish a lasting memorial in their honor.

The August Auction (now completed) was one opportunity to support the Riley & Claudia Memorial Fund. The items up for bid were generously donated by a variety of companies and individuals, allowing all proceeds to go to the memorial fund.  Thank you for supporting Sarah and her family.

We wish to extend a special thanks to the private individuals and companies that have donated to the August Auction for the Riley & Claudia Memorial Fund.  Thanks to their efforts and the outpouring of support from SDN members, the fund has already received over $12,000 in donations.

• Item 001 Dinner with Depakote (Toledo area)
• Item 002 SDN Witch Doctor T-Shirt
• Item 003 Six Different Homeade Jams and Jellies in a Decorated Basket
• Item 004 Your Very own Private Forum and Custom Usergroup. For Real.
• Item 005 Custom Avatar By Depakote
• Item 006 The Official SDN Medical School Admissions Guide
• Item 007 Homemade Peanut Butter and Homemade Cookies or Granola
• Item 008 Fall fun kit (Ages 4-6)
• Item 009 Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th edition
• Item 010 Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2008
• Item 011 Goodman & Gilman’s Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
• Item 012 Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, 7th edition
• Item 013 Multicultural Medicine and Health Disparities
• Item 014 Principles of Neural Science, 5th edition
• Item 015 Casarett & Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons, 7th edition
• Item 016 Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 15th edition
• Item 017 GRE Test Prep package “C” from GraduateTestPrep.com
• Item 018 Course CD set of your choice from The Osler Institute
• Item 019 Fused Art Glass Necklace
• Item 020 Full set of Berkeley Review Books
• Item 021 The SDN Pharmacy School Admissions Guide
• Item 022 SDN “Daddy” Ladies Fitted T-shirt
• Item 023 Kaplan MCAT Classroom Course
• Items 024 & 025 1-Year Interfolio Account With 20 Free Electronic Deliveries
• Items 026 & 027 Bundle of 20 Free Electronic Deliveries From Interfolio
• Item 028 TopScore Pro DAT Review Software
• Item 029 The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine, 2nd edition
• Item 030 Kaplan USMLE Step 1 Qbank (3 month)
• Item 031 Kaplan USMLE Step 2 CK Qbank (3 month)
• Item 032 Kaplan USMLE Step 3 Qbank (3 month)
• Item 033 Batch of Homemade Carmel
• Item 034 Boards Boot Camp Level 1 Ultra Program – COMLEX and USMLE Prep Program
• Item 035 Customized Dog Portrait Or…
• Item 036 Mommy (or Daddy!) and Me in the Kitchen Kit
• Item 037 Cookie Monster’s Dream
• Item 038 Dinner with DrMom (Tulsa area)
• Item 039 Snack Attack! Kit

The members chose Make-A-Wish because of its longstanding tradition of providing service to ill children throughout the world. Each year the Make-A-Wish Foundation provides hope, strength and joy to nearly 13,000 children and their families.