Hair Off for Headwaters raises more than $106,000 to support cancer care

While most of the province has been anxiously awaiting the opening of barber shops and hair salons, three brave Headwaters Health Care Foundation Board Members shaved their heads and one community member donated a portion of her hair to raise funds for cancer care at Headwaters Health Care Centre, as well as honour the past efforts of two local schools.

This would have marked Centre Dufferin District High School's 20th year of hosting their annual Hair Off for Headwaters, and Glenbrook Public Schools 6th year of hosting Glenbrook Gives, raising over $177,000 cumulatively to support Cancer Care at Headwaters. 

In barber shop speak, Al Frittenburg, Joan Waechter and Tim Peters all took their hair “down to the wood” and community member Jade Snell cut 12 inches off her hair and donated it to Canadian Charity, 360 Hair, all while hosting a virtual fundraiser raising over $106,000, in just over a week.

All the funds raised through this event will go to support cancer care at Headwaters, and the journey cancer patients take through the hospital every day. Events like this ensure that members of the Dufferin-Caledon community who are battling this disease can receive their cancer treatments, diagnostics and follow-up at their local hospital. 

As Ontario enters Stage 2 of the re-opening plan,  Headwaters' hairdressers were excited and honoured to donate their time and skills to assist in supporting this event. Thanks to Lucia Panagiotopoulos from The Hair Gallery Salon, Paul Tambini, from Felix & Ginger Salon and Stephanie Janes from Blown Away Hair Salon. 

Kendra Goss, Coordinator of Community Engagement said, “We are absolutely blown away with the community support for this event. With the traditional event needing to be cancelled for the last two years, courtesy of COVID-19, this virtual event has helped us not just maintain the momentum of both Glenbrook PS and Central District High School, but has shown our community what it means to give back, and the different forms that generosity can take.” 

Added Dora Boylen-Pabst, Foundation CEO: “I would like to thank the past and current students at both schools for the long-history of this initiative and let them know we are looking forward to 2022 and the resumption of their events. I would also like to thank Joan, Tim and Al for their leadership and willingness to shave their heads and generate donations. And, I want to thank our community for hearing their call for help and stepping up to contribute over $106,000 in just a week, blowing their original $25,000 (and then $50,000) goal out of the water! It is tremendous what we can do when we come together.”