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Heads shaved for Summer Singleton

There were lots of cheers as locks hair fell to the floor during the Shine On fundraiser for families fighting cancer March 25.
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Jenn and Gary Singleton (from left)

There was lots of hooting, hollering, tears and cheers as locks of hair fell to the floor during the Shine On, Starry Night fundraiser for families fighting cancer Saturday night at the Elks Hall.

Two women, one little girl, and a man raised a total of $9,350 by having their locks cut or heads shaved to help six-year-old Summer Singleton and her family with the cost of travel and accommodation during the months she is receiving chemotherapy treatment at Children’s Hospital in Vancouver for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

With her own locks cut into a short bob Summer was there to cheer them on.

Summer had her long hair cut earlier to be made into a wig for her to wear in about a month’s time when her hair begins to fall out during her chemotherapy treatment, says her mom Jenn, who attended the fundraiser with Summer, her husband Gary and son, Braidon. Now a healthy teen, Braidon beat the same type of cancer that Summer is now fighting when he was younger.

Local stylists Gloria Matschke and Kyla Sigurdson did the honours of shaving heads and cutting and styling the hair of donors.

Haylee Sigurdson, 6, raised $430 by having her long locks cut to be made into a wig.  In addition to donations that evening Haylee also collected pop cans and canvassed schoolmates, friends and family for donations.

Jenelle Tate raised $310 by having her long locks cut to have made into a wig.

Merrissa Lewis raised $1,110 by having her long hair cut to be made into a wig and going one step further to have her head shaved to within about a quarter inch of her scalp.

Kevin Kadoski, a heavy duty mechanic at Mount Polley Mine had his long locks shaved completely off to raise a total of $7,500 between community donations and a challenge to fellow Mount Polley employees. Mount Polley employees contributed $4,200 of the total.

Kadoski said he was inspired to help the Singletons when he heard their story because his own daughter, Nikki, has survived two bouts with cancer.

Nikki said her husband, Brad Foisy, who attended the event with her, kept bugging her to have a mole on her arm checked out and it turned out to be melanoma. Later she was treated for ovarian cancer.

She is now in good health and enjoying their two young children.

“I’m still here,” Nikki says triumphantly. “I have a lot to do.”

Summer’s family was there to express their appreciation for the community support.

The Shine On event was completely sold out and including the $9,500 raised for the Singleton family through head and hair cutting challenges, the event raised just over $34,000, says event co-organizer Corry Williams. Funds raised by the Shine On dinner, auction, raffle and dance event will also go toward helping other families in the community who are battling cancer, Williams says.

“We would like to thank everyone who made this possible, from local businesses, individuals who donated, people who attended and the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the event such a success,” Williams says.

People who wish to donate to the cause or know more about the fundraising group can contact Corry Williams at 250-267-6188 or at creativelogging@telus.net.