Fourteen brave men and women have five days left before they take it all off at the Robin Hood Pub.

On Friday the annual St. Baldrick's event will be the staging ground for this group going bald ? all for the good cause of raising money to go towards research benefiting children with cancer.

The popular head-shaving event ? which dates back five years and has raised nearly $7 million by now ? gets staged both here and across the US every year.

St. Baldrick's was the brainchild of several US-based reinsurance executives who came up with the idea five years ago to recruit 17 colleagues in an attempt to raise $17,000 to benefit children with cancer.

In Bermuda, the event generally attracts participants from the Island's flourishing re/insurance industry but is open to all.This year is no exception with a number of high-profile participants (we are talking CEO and CFO rank, even a chief actuary) Bermuda's leading risk management companies.

At least two participants are taking part because of seeing first hand through the experiences of family members, how devastating illness can be.

Although the shavees have a week left to raise funds ? and further monies are likely to be raised at the actual event ? the group is still short of its overall fundraising goal of $426,100.

As of last night, the 14 participants had collectively garnered support to the tune of $110,308.

Max Re CEO Robert Cooney has set the most ambitious fundraising goal for the 2005 event, with his sights on raising $200,000 to go towards cancer research.

As of Friday, the top three fundraisers were: AXIS CFO Andrew Cook with $56,740 having been pledged to date; Davina Dickinson has raised $21,460 and Mr. Cooney has garnered $13,045 in sponsorship.

Other participants are: Sean Ringsted, Scott Amyooney, Robin Newman, Magnus Henagulph, Brice Pursell, David Drury, David Furby, Gavin Kennedy, Jonathan Cassidy, Jonathan Young and Kevin Petty.

Those who give to the Bermuda St. Baldrick's participants can also request that their donation remain in Bermuda, going to local cancer charity PALS.

To increase the bounty on one of the Bermuda heads, go online to the Bermuda participants page at www.stbaldricks.org.