ABOUT Patrick McNamara
We are - Pat Mac’s Pack!
Each year, at St. Barnabas School, we celebrate the life and legacy of Patrick McNamara.
Patrick, the St. Barnabas student with a heart of gold, showed our community that young children can change the world. Diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 2, Patrick and his family spent 11 years searching and fighting for a cure. Patrick inspired everyone around him through his unyielding humor, positivity, and determination. In 2011, St. Barnabas classmates, parents, parishioners, and friends came together to shave their heads and raise funds for the St. Baldrick's Foundation and its fight against pediatric cancer.
We continue this tradition with our annual Pat Mac Day, and each year, a new wave of young Buckeyes learns they have the power to make a difference. Pat Mac Day at St. Barnabas School has a dual mission: to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Pat Mac’s Pack. These charitable organizations work to conquer children’s cancer by funding cancer research and providing financial assistance to young cancer patients and their families.
Patrick, the St. Barnabas student with a heart of gold, showed our community that young children can change the world. Diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 2, Patrick and his family spent 11 years searching and fighting for a cure. Patrick inspired everyone around him through his unyielding humor, positivity, and determination. In 2011, St. Barnabas classmates, parents, parishioners, and friends came together to shave their heads and raise funds for the St. Baldrick's Foundation and its fight against pediatric cancer.
We continue this tradition with our annual Pat Mac Day, and each year, a new wave of young Buckeyes learns they have the power to make a difference. Pat Mac Day at St. Barnabas School has a dual mission: to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Pat Mac’s Pack. These charitable organizations work to conquer children’s cancer by funding cancer research and providing financial assistance to young cancer patients and their families.
St. Baldrick's Foundation: Since Patrick McNamara's friends and family first brought the St. Baldrick's Foundation head-shaving event to St. Barnabas School, our community has raised OVER $600,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, and 1,800 people have braved the shave & cut.
Pat Mac's Pack: When Patrick was first diagnosed, his parents, Tom and Dee, were shocked to learn how grossly underfunded and under-researched pediatric brain tumors were. They made it their mission to change that, and in 2014, Pat Mac’s Pack was created. Their determination, Patrick's spirit, and a community of inspired friends and family have raised more than $3 million to support brain tumor research at Lurie Children’s Hospital and to provide financial assistance to young cancer patients and their families.
Patrick's story has touched the hearts of so many. Please take a few moments to watch these features and learn more about Patrick's legacy.
VENERABLE MARY POTTER HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Tom & Dee McNamara, 2024
Tom & Dee McNamara, 2024
WGN NEW FEATURED STORY
2024
2024
ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO FEATURED STORY
When Losing Hair is a Good Thing, 2020
When Losing Hair is a Good Thing, 2020
WHO IS PAT MAC'S PACK
The original group of Pat Mac's Pack shares their Why, 2016
The original group of Pat Mac's Pack shares their Why, 2016
WHY ST. BALDRICK'S
St. Barnabas School, 2012
St. Barnabas School, 2012
