His wife?s fight with cancer has led one leading reinsurance executive to take it all off to raise funds for research benefiting children suffering from the disease.

Andrew Cook, chief financial officer for Bermuda-based AXIS Capital, is going bald on March 18 along with, so far, nine other locals taking part in the St. Baldrick?s fundraising event.

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

It all started out when several US-based reinsurance executives came up with the idea to recruit 17 colleagues in an attempt to raise $17,000 to benefit children with cancer.

Although ?shavees? in Bermuda have typically hailed from the Island?s burgeoning insurance sector, there is now a cross-section of participants with this year?s bunch being rounded out by Bermuda College lecturer Jonathan Young.

Mr. Cook told early this week he felt compelled to participate after his wife, Julia, survived breast cancer last year ? including a six-month period of baldness from chemotherapy treatment ? and is now battling a secondary diagnosis of the disease.

?It has been a tough year for Julia, there is no doubt about that. And then at the Christmas party, John (Charman) volunteered me to do it. Julia thought it was a great opportunity for me to raise awareness of the disease and also show solid support for kids, with it [the funds all going to children?s research. She has been very supportive; thought it was a fantastic idea. That is really why I want to do it, because Julia is 110 percent behind it.?

Mr. Cook is also keeping up an AXIS tradition by getting the shave, with at least one executive from the reinsurer taking part each year in the St. Baldrick?s fundraising event since 2002.

Last year it was AXIS chairman and industry veteran Michael Butt who was brave enough to let his full head of hair go under the razor. And Mr. Cook predicted that next year?s AXIS participant could be the company?s well-known chief executive, John Charman.

The challenge has been laid but it is probably fair enough considering that John Charman himself volunteered Mr. Cook for the fundraiser at last year?s company Christmas party.

?With a little persuasion, we might be able to get John to do it next year,? he cajoled. As of yesterday morning, the nine participants getting the chop next month ? Andrew Cook, Brice Pursell, Davina Dickinson, Jonathan Cassidy, David Drury, Jonathan Young, Rob Newman, Bob Cooney and Tawana Thomas-Tannock ? had already raised just under $60,000.

Mr. Cook himself has seen online contributions towards the cause totalling more than $41,000, and says he hopes to raise much more.

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

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.