Volunteers performed open-air haircuts on Burnaby Campus in Convocation Mall last week, inviting students to shave it all to raise money for cancer research.
Held on March 18, the event was open to the entire SFU community. Many students stepped up to the barber’s chair, smiling and chatting as their hair fell to the ground.
Balding for Dollars is an annual event held by SFU’s Club For the Cure. This was the eighth year of the event, which has raised about $22,000 annually.
Participants donated their hair, enjoyed music and a barbeque concession, and learned about local cancer organizations. Ride to Conquer Cancer and the Canadian Cancer Society were among those present.
Typically, the annual event has a turnout of about 75 to 100 participants, and this year was no different. SFU students showed up in large numbers to support the cause.
Club for the Cure at SFU was founded in 2004. This year’s event was co-directed by SFU students Erika Pan and Faaria Samnani. According to Pan, the club’s purpose is to “raise awareness of the issues associated with cancer.”
The Convocation Mall stage was used for participants to have their hair cut or shaved. Many participants fundraised online, collecting pledges in support of their hair being donated. Others walked by and spontaneously decided to donate their hair as well.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the BC Children’s Hospital’s oncology unit, which in turn supports research and children battling cancer here in Vancouver.
Raising money for cancer is something Pan has been heavily involved with since high school, and something she’s happy to do. “In high school I was quite involved in putting on events that raised money for cancer and BC Children’s Hospital,” she said. “So this is a way of continuing that tradition.”
Cancer is a disease that affects about two in five Canadians over their lifetime. Samnani spoke about how much the event meant to her personally. “I have had family members impacted by cancer. I think a lot of people have,” she said.
She continued, “I think this event is really important in [that it is] able to share with people how much cancer has affected us and how much we support it.”
