Monday, 26 November 2012

Host a Shave Your Lid for a Kid event at your school!

Kids Cancer Care invites you and your school to take part in the Shave Your Lid for a Kid® program. This unique and exciting fundraising program has brought together thousands of teachers, administrators and students losing their locks to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer.


Why Participate?
Shave Your Lid for a Kid® has many benefits for students in the classroom and beyond:
  1. Promotes leadership and encourages young people to get involved in the community;
  2. Promotes school spirit and advocates anti-bullying;
  3. The opportunity to educate kids about childhood cancer;
  4. Kids helping kids! Shave donations go directly to helping kids and their families affected by childhood cancer in Alberta;
  5. It’s fun!


The Shave Your Lid for a Kid® program features event and fundraising assistance from start to finish! Your school’s shave includes:
  • Promotional posters and tips on fundraising;
  • Assistance in setting up online profiles (optional);
  • Shave day support including shaving materials and assistance in recruiting volunteer shavers*;
  • Certificate of achievement and a baseball hat for shavees;
  • Assistance with donation reconciliation;
  • Coordination and sending of tax receipts to donors;
  • Kids Cancer Care is happy to send a representative and a Kids Cancer Care Spokes Kid to your shave!*


Get Started!
  1. Whether you’re a student, a teacher or a parent, talk to members of your school about hosting  Shave Your Lid for a Kid®;
  2. Pick a date and set a fundraising goal;
  3. Contact Kids Cancer Care. Please contact Shave Coordinator Leah Nelner at 403 984 1223 or email nelner@kidscancercare.ab.ca. By letting Kids Cancer Care know about your event, we can ensure we support your event to the best of our abilities.
  4. Start signing people up to shave or cut and donate their hair;
  5. Start fundraising!
Register your school here: https://secure.csfm.com/kidscancer/shaveyourlidforakid/register/register_group.php?indiv_or_group=indiv

Learn more about Shave Your Lid for a Kid®: http://www.kidscancercare.ab.ca/shave_your_lid_for_a_kid.htm

*subject to availability

Monday, 19 November 2012

Kellie Pickler Shaves her head in Solidarity


The country cutie has buzzed off her long blond locks in solidarity to her best friend, Summer Holt Miller, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June and was about to start chemotherapy treatments. Pickler refers to Miller as her “sister” and decided to undergo the hair buzzing in Nashville alongside Miller.

Pickler took to Twitter afterwards and called the experience “one of the most incredible days of my life.” She has also coined herself to be Miller’s “cancer buddy” and stated that no one should “walk through the valley alone.”

Here is the video from the emotional shave day: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLA6bga0DCE

Here is a Clip from the Ellen Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uETvMUD9rN0

A message from Kids Cancer Care:
Shaving your head in  support of cancer is so much more than raising money. It’s about showing that you care and supporting those that don’t have a choice in losing their hair. It makes these people feel as though they are not alone…..some times this can be all they need to have the hope and strength to fight and beat cancer. For all of you who have shaved or cut and donated your hair, thank you!

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Canadian Luge Athlete Gets Inspirational Haircut for Kids Cancer Care


Canadian luge athlete, Arianne Jones, received a motivational boost on the road to achieving her Olympic dream on Thursday. November 1st. With her sights focused on Sochi 2014, Jones spent the morning at the track trimming her locks while giving and receiving inspiration alongside the Kids Cancer Care community.


Encouraged by 12-year-old youth luge athlete Sam Judson, who trimmed her hair for charity last year, Calgary’s pint-sized 22-year-old Jones decided to lend a foot of her locks and raise money for Kids Cancer Care. Jones plans to donate the hair to Angel Hair for Kids who provides wigs at no cost to children who lose their hair to cancer or other diseases.

“As an athlete you become so focused on the day-to-day highs and lows along the journey to achieving your Olympic dreams that it is easy to lose perspective on the real challenges in life that others are facing,” said Jones – who added that she established an immediate connection with Judson, someone she handed used equipment down to, as they are both tiny in stature.

“To see my young teammate, and someone I was helping along, be so tuned in to the adversities of these incredible children who have battled cancer made me realize that to truly represent Canada, I have to do more than just compete. I believe the true spirit of being an Olympian realizes itself when you leverage your privileged position as a role model to positively impact others while bringing awareness to important causes like Kids Cancer Care.”

As is the case with far too many Canadians, the connection to cancer also exists deep into the luge community.

Calgary luger and cancer survivor, 12-year-old Chris Rowell emceed the event, introducing Jones to an enthusiastic audience of teens. Samantha Andres, whose battle scars with cancer include an amputated leg, shared her story of triumph and adversity before joining Rowell and Judson at the start line to make the first cut in Jones’ waist-length hair.

“It is events like today that encourage other young kids like myself to fight and believe they too will achieve their goals of getting healthy,” said Rowell. “Many of us understand how hard it must be to have cancer, but big-hearted people like Arianne, along with organizations like Kids Cancer Care, allow us to forget about our disease for a few hours and for that I am grateful. Lucky for me, I am fully recovered. Now I feel like I can give back, and have committed to raising money to help make battling cancer a little easier for other children.”

Following an inspirational presentation that culminated with getting the most memorable haircut of her life, Jones and a group of her Olympic teammates gave the kids a luge demonstration before giving them a chance to hop on a sled and take a trip down the icy chute themselves. 

“Part of my goal in doing this was to inspire these kids and give them a little hope, but I am blown away by their strength, positive attitude and outlook on life and sport,” said Jones. “As a result, I assure you the big learning in all of this is I am the one who is leaving here today most inspired. I’m more motivated now than ever to chase my dreams having witnessed first hand the extraordinary challenges these kids face. They will have a special seat on my sled with me as we slide closer to Sochi.”

Jones’ journey towards achieving her Olympic dream continues November 24-25 when the World Cup season kicks off in Igls, Austria. Canada will play host to the 2013 World Championships at the Whistler Sliding Centre, February 1-2, 2013.

In addition to donating her hair, Arianne also raised over $2,500 for Kids Cancer Care: https://secure.csfm.com/kidscancer/shaveyourlidforakid/home/profile.php?participant_id=770676591347646690


Kids Cancer Care’s Shave Your Lid for a Kid Program also encompasses hair donations by working alongside Angel Hair for Kids. Learn more: http://www.kidscancercare.ab.ca/hair_donation.htm