Students at Chatelech Secondary School raised more than $2,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and donated more than 126 inches of hair that will be made into wigs for chemotherapy patients during their Hair For Cancer campaign that wrapped up June 4.
The campaign was a project of the student council, started at the beginning of the school year with various lunchtime events and assemblies. At this event, students had their heads shaved while buckets were passed throughout the student-body to collect donations.
"We collected at least $100 every time the buckets were passed around," said Eric Rines of the student council.
Rines, Sammi Dixon and Kai Nestman spearheaded most of the events during the year. The Canadian Cancer Society seemed like the most logical non-profit foundation to benefit.
"Everyone is touched by cancer in some way and a lot of us from Chat were in the Relay For Life event. It seemed like something a lot of the students were interested in," said Nestman.
This is the first year the student council at Chat has been formally set up. Nestman said one of their goals is to promote community involvement and raise money for local non-profit organizations.
During the year the council urged students to grow their hair, skipping trips to the barber, to have the cut count at the year-end cut-a-thon.
Local barber Robbie McEvoy and stylist Patti Lunan came to the school on June 4 to cut 126 students' inch-long ponytails.
"We actually didn't organize it as well as we should have because we ended up having too many people who wanted to have their hair cut and only the two barbers. So a couple of girls from our school were going around with sharp scissors cutting off other student's ponytails," said Rines.
Nestman noted some students didn't have enough hair to donate for wigs but opted to have their heads shaved in exchange for money donated to the cancer society.
Marketplace IGA donated 10 dozen hot dogs, buns and condiments to the event, and the B.C. Vending Company donated 12 flats of pop, all of which was sold to students to raise money for the cancer society.
Nestman said the ponytails have been donated to a company that will make them into wigs offered free-of-charge to patients who need them.
