While many love to have their tresses tended at the local hair salon, two Sunshine Coast RCMP constables received haircuts this week to do more than just look good.
Sechelt's Rainbow Room salon hosted its second annual Cops for Cancer cut-a-thon on Monday and constables Colin Bissell and Mark Wiebe were on hand for a trim and to support fundraising efforts as the local officers get set to ride in September's Tour de Coast.
The cut-a-thon was just one of many fundraising efforts that will be put on over the coming weeks by the Ladies Red Serge Gala committee.
Bissell and Wiebe are riding for their cancer buddy, seven-year-old Ryan Moore of Sechelt, who is in remission from leukemia. The Tour de Coast promotes cancer awareness and raises funds for pediatric cancer research and Camp Goodtimes.
"Today means a lot to me. I've been lucky that cancer hasn't touched my family, but I have several friends who have lost loved ones to cancer and I'm happy to support this," Bissell said. "It's fantastic that the Rainbow Room supports Cops for Cancer and the Canadian Cancer Society and they are able to do this for the day."
Wiebe echoed similar sentiments.
"It really touched me when my friend's dad passed away from cancer last summer," Wiebe said. "Basically, the Sunshine Coast raises some of the most money for cancer research through the Cops for Cancer and ladies' night gala. Working with the Red Serge ladies is really showing what people will do to help out with research and it's amazing."
As for his buddy Ryan, Wiebe said it saddens him to see someone so young deal with cancer.
"That's another reason why we're doing this, hoping to get that money to research to eradicate this earlier so kids don't have to go through it. Anything to help with cancer research and raising money, I'm all for it," he said.
The event paid off with the salon collecting $752.
Gala committee member Patti Kennedy volunteered at the salon for the day and said fundraising efforts have been coming along well.
"Our community is incredible. It's just amazing when you live in a small community how people come forward and do this," she said. "The least we've raised at one of the ladies' night events is $30,000. It's wonderful and that's why we keep doing this."
The popular gala event is set for Thursday, Sept. 15, at Sechelt Seniors Centre. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at the Sechelt RCMP detachment.
Cops for Cancer is a partnership between the Canadian Cancer Society, the RCMP and other community police officers.For more information on cancer research and donating, visit www.copsforcancer.ca.
