In February, Kids Cancer Care had the opportunity to visit the small town of Sundre to help a group of Brownies host their first Shave Your Lid for a Kid event. They were so excited, as well as nervous to see their leader “Pink Owl,” shave her head. The group set a modest goal with the intention of raising money to send kids affected by cancer to Camp Kindle. Their efforts began to snow ball, with the whole community of Sundre joining in. Here is their story, told by Pink Owl herself.
I was looking for a service project for my Brownies, when I heard a commercial for the Kids Cancer Care’s Shave your Lid for a Kid program. I thought it would be a neat way for my Brownie group to see how simple it was to make a positive difference in the world, as well as to undertake a project to honour our special Guiding Holiday, “Thinking Day.”
Boy, did I get more than I bargained for! We are a small Brownie unit–5 girls, 3 leaders– that had just started up in October. We live in Sundre, a town of 2,700. When we introduced the idea to the girls, they thought we were INSANE!! To them, raising $100 was a huge concept. We set our goal at $2,200; $200 for each member of our multi-unit.
We brainstormed ideas for how to raise money. The girls decided to do chores for change, as well as a new concept simply called “bottle bombing.” I put my long pink hair on the chopping block on behalf of the unit, as well as our special Brownie Doll, Brooke’s. For the next 4 weeks, Guiding families and members of the Sundre community took turns adding to the gigantic mountain of bottles in my yard! It became a game to see if they could add to the pile without getting caught. I think my neighbors decided that we were hoarders around that point.
Meanwhile, my fellow Guider, Snowy Owl, had wrangled the local logging truck drivers from West Fraser Sundre into a competition of sorts — to see which logging crew could raise the most money for us. Their bosses stepped in to match what they raised, and we ended up with another shavee; Mr. Bradley Stair. And with that, our donations went up and up.
When all was said and done, we managed to smash our goal with a grand total of $10,821.00!!! This is almost enough to send a child to Camp Kindle for each member of our group. Needless to say, the girls were BLOWN away! It has been so incredible to see our small community step up to support this amazing cause. To have been able to show my girls that it was as simple as shaving my head to make such a positive difference in the lives of our most deserving, has been priceless.
I’m not brave and I don’t think I am crazy either. The children and families who wrestle with cancer are the brave ones. I’m just happy to have been able to help make their journeys a little bit brighter– and I wear my new hairdo with pride! To all those who have supported us; thank you for showing our girls that you don’t have to be big to make a big difference in the world.
Established in 1950, Delmar College is one of the original hairstyling schools in Alberta and aspires to be among the best in the world. Delmar College provides leading edge post-secondary education for hairstylists and offers diploma programs in Esthetic Technician, Hair Design, Laser Technician and Nail Technician. The high success rate of Delmar’s graduates is a testament to the school’s popularity and solidified reputation in Alberta. Delmar College’s in-house salon also offers great prices on hair maintenance and styling as well as esthetic services. The in-house salon also offers lower than average prices for hair maintenance and styling products.
For several years, Delmar College has supported the Shave Your Lid for a Kid program by providing skilled student volunteer shavers at large school shave events. The talented students and staff of Delmar College bring an amazing level of enthusiasm to each event throughout the busy spring season.
In addition to their volunteer support, Delmar College provides complimentary shave and/or haircuts at their salon for individuals enrolled in the program and has also worked to provide the program with the highest quality products and accessories. On top of all that, earlier in the year Delmar Staff and students hosted a bake sale raising funds for Kids Cancer Care! Kids Cancer Care is very thankful for Delmar College’s continued support and recognizes them as a huge success factor in our Shave Your Lid for a Kid program. Thank you Delmar!
For more information on the Delmar College of Hair and Esthetics, please visit http://www.Delmarcollege.com or call 403 264 8055. Delmar College is open Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm; 2nd floor, 1520 – 4th Street SW.
Congratulations, you’ve decided to take the brave step of shaving your head! We bet that at some point you’ve found yourself thinking about how you’re going to keep your “new do” as fresh and maintained as possible!
Whether you have decided to go completely bald or leave some peach fuzz, there are two important things you should keep in mind after your shave: moisturizer and sun protection.
As we mentioned before, with a shaved head comes increased sun exposure. Just as you have to protect the rest of your body from UV rays, your delicate scalp is no different! If you have shaven it all off, we recommend applying SPF 30 sunscreen before heading out into the sun or wearing a hat. It is important to remember that the skin on your head is going to be incredibly sensitive due to lack of previous exposure.
How long before my hair grows back?
The average person’s hair grows about a half an inch a month or 1.25 centimeters. Your hair may not grow over night but it will grow back at a steady rate! In the meantime, here are some reasons to enjoy your freshly shaved head:
Shave Your Lid for a Kid!®
In March 2012 Kids Cancer Care visited Western Energy Services Corporation for a Shave Your Lid for a Kid event that saw six brave co-workers band together to raise funds for Kids Cancer Care. Their motivation to shave it off came from a resilient young girl named Taylor. Leading the shave initiative, Tracey Burgess, recalls Taylor’s story and why Shave Your Lid for a Kid was so important for her to do.
I have a dear friend, who at 37 thought she would never have children of her own. Then along came dear little Taylor, weighing in at 9.2 lbs. She looked perfect – all her fingers and toes. Every parents dream, right? Taylor was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. At first it was a lump the size of a kiwi on her spine; then after multiple hospital visits and testing, Taylor underwent surgery to remove the mass. The prognosis looked good. Taylor now at five months has multiple masses that have sprouted on her spine and a lump that is on her liver and around her heart. This means more testing, hospital stays and chemotherapy. She has already been through 57 tests and surgeries!
Unfortunately there are many children out there with stories similar to Taylor’s. Research requires funding! This comes from people like me and YOU! My hair will grow back. I want to see Taylor GROW UP!!
UPDATE: Taylor is now 17 months old. Just last week she had a routine MRI and a series of other tests. All results came back negative. The doctors feel she is in full remission, but will continue to follow her until she is at least 18 years old. Taylor is a happy little girl full of life and laughter. She has a full head of hair now, 14 teeth and she walks and talks (lots). All the love and support we have received has helped us through this trying journey. We thank each and every one of you.
My shave donations far exceeded my expectations!!! I started with a target goal of $3,000 and ended up with donations in excess of $17,000!!! My hair has completely grown back, “I have a new color and didn’t even have to pay for it!”
Kids Cancer Care’s Shave Your Lid for a Kid program supports the Angle Hair for Kids program. When our shavees and hair donors donate their hair we recommend donating to this amazing foundation. Read below to learn more about the foundation, hair donation and wigs for kids! Please note Kids Cancer Care does not accept hair donations. Please contact or send your hair donation to Angle Hair for Kids.
Every year Canadian children suffer hair loss due to a variety of causes including such things as cancer treatments or burns. In order to help these children build their confidence, a program called Angel Hair for Kids was created.
Angel Hair for Kids is a program that was created by A Child’s Voice Foundation, which was founded in 1995. A Child’s Voice Foundation is a Canadian charity that helps change the lives of financially disadvantaged children across Canada. The two main programs that the charity provides are Kids Life Line, and Angel Hair for Kids.Angel Hair for Kids is a particularly unique program because it helps disadvantaged children in Canada that have lost their hair because of medical conditions or treatments, with both wigs and solutions to hair loss. This particular program was created to help improve a child’s self-esteem and self-image while the child undergoes difficult and strenuous times.
In order for A Child’s Voice Foundation to manufacture one wig, it will take approximately 10 to 12 donated ponytails from people who have generously donated their hair. Kids Cancer Care encourages shavees to donate their hair if it is at least 12 inches in length, clean, dry, and free of chemical treatments to Angel Hair for Kids.
Kids Cancer Care strongly recommends donating your hair to A Child’s Voice Foundation because the Angel Hair for Kids program directly benefits children living within Canada. This means, that Kids Cancer Care and A Child’s Voice Foundation are keeping the funds raised, and the hair donated, within the country. This allows children within our country to receive the help and support they deserve!
Learn more about Angel Hair for Kids here here
Learn more about Shave Your Lid for a Kid or register to cut and donate your hair here
When Kids Cancer Care first arrived at Good Shepard School to meet Sydney we were impressed by her confidence and mesmerized by her cuteness. Not only has Sydney made the brave decision to cut off her pony tail once, but now twice! Sydney is proof that KIDS CAN make a difference. Written by her mom, this is her story.
As parents, this has been one of the proudest moments we’ve had. Sydney plans to do this all over again once her hair grows back. Her hair grows quite fast so this same event will probably take place when she is in grade four. What amazes me about Sydney cutting her hair for cancer awareness is how humble she is about her kindness. She doesn’t boast about it or talk about it unless asked. That is the very essence of giving, selflessly from the heart with no self-gratification but the feeling of doing something kind for someone else. She inspires us all, including me, her Mom.
-Candace Grenkow
To cut your hair for a kid, please register here:
In the fall, we got a chance to go to camp as a family. Karlee’s blood counts were very, very low but the doctors agreed to let her go. We went to camp with the attitude that we were going to have some fun as a family, but we under estimated the power of camp.The relationships you make at camp teach you so much about healing, support and strength. When we got back from camp Karlee’s counts had risen to their highest level since she was diagnosed. At camp, there are warriors, survivors and their families as well as a families of angles. Each of these people can teach you so much about the human spirit and the ability to overcome.
Kids Cancer Care has allowed our family to take part in many events that we wouldn’t have been able to while dealing with cancer.They have also connected us with other families who have provided another level of support in helping us get through everything and in showing us that there is life after cancer. We have tried to give back to this organization by volunteering for events when we are able, donating money from slipper sales and now organizing a Shave Your Lid for a Kid event.
Right before Survivor Day last year we decided we wanted to give something back. As someone who has shaved my head for 15 years, I realized I needed to do something a little different to raise money by shaving, so I decided to grow my hair for a year! Ryley also agreed to shave his head and has been growing his hair since October. We started talking it up over the summer and started signing people up in January. We already have 20 people who are shaving their heads. Somerset School, which both kids attend, is partnering with us and going to help make this a great event. So far we have raised over $16,000 and we still have two months to go.
Our journey has had its challenges with numerous hospital visits (some planned and some not so planned), lots of chemo and other medications and a few scary moments, including Karlee coding in the clinic and the code team having to revive her. It has also had lots of special moments like camp, sporting events and family time. Many of the special moments have been made possible by Kids Cancer Care and they have been made extra special by their incredible staff and volunteers. There is no way to say thank you enough times to Kids Cancer Care for the incredible work they for families that need the support they offer.
If you are interested in joining this shave and shaving your head to show support and raise funds for childhood cancer, please email Leah.
Yesterday we released our brand new Shave Your Lid for a Kid video in front of hundreds of students at Nellie McClung School. The video stars students from Nellie McClung School and O.S. Geiger School, as they lose their locks for childhood cancer!
We created the video to revitalize the shave program and spread the message that KIDS CAN make a difference and that KIDS CAN beat cancer!
Watch the video here
HELP US spread the word! It only takes a second and it will cost you nothing. But it could change a child’s life forever. YOU CAN make a difference.
- Tweet this message on Twitter: If #kidscan, YOU can! Pls watch this video http://bit.ly/o4ITkN & RT. It could inspire others 2 help & change a child’s life; and
- Post this message on Facebook: With your help, KIDS CAN beat cancer. Please share this video and spread the word that YOU CAN be the difference. YOU CAN help a child with cancer today: http://www.kidscancercare.ab.ca/shave_your_lid_for_a_kid.htm.
PS. You can read about the video launch here:
