Who exactly was St. Baldrick — a 14th century Welsh monk with an exceptionally bad tonsure? In fact, there never was a living, breathing St. Baldrick. According to the St. Baldrick's Foundation website, St. Baldrick is a fictional character, the name a synthesis of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, and bald.

St. Baldrick was conceived as a result of a casual conversation between friends in 1999, when Tim Kenny challenged fellow reinsurance executives and friends, John Bender and Enda McDonnell, to find a way to give back to society. They decided to turn a St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for children with cancer.

According to the website, "John suggested shaving Enda's head since kids typically lose their hair during cancer treatment. 'People will gladly pay to see you bald, Enda!' Never one to miss an opportunity, Enda replied, 'I will if you will,' and St. Baldrick's was born.

"The three planned to raise '$17,000 on the 17th', recruiting 17 colleagues to raise $1,000 each to be shorn. Instead, the first St. Baldrick's event, held on March 17, 2000, raised over $104,000."

Since then, tens of thousands have gone under the razor, making the event "the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research," raising over $34 million.