When Steveston’s Anoushka Sharma and three of her friends showed up at their schools Monday, each had a new look, and a new outlook about what it means to give of themselves.
The quartet of elementary school-aged pals were among a throng of donors attending the 4th annual Wigs For Kids event at Hennessey Salon + Spa in Richmond Centre on Sunday.
Anoushka, a Grade 4 student at Westwind elementary, along with her buddies — Tia Napora, Lola Shearer and Madison Sakai — came armed with not only a pledge of around $3,300 to help provide funding for children who need wigs due to illnesses, but a personal donation — their hair.
Each took their turn to sit in the hair stylist’s chair and have eight to 12 inches of their locks snipped away to be fashioned into a hair piece.
“Kids today, especially, need to be aware of how fortunate they are, and to help in any little way,” said Anoushka’s mom, Seema. “And this was one small way they can.”
The idea to find and support a cancer fundraiser came from close to home — a friend of Seema’s was battling breast cancer.
“So, they (the kids) had seen someone who had gone through treatments and lost their hair,” she said. “When we found Wigs For Kids, we set up a team over the summer, and sent emails to friends and family and set up a website to raise money. People, some of whom we had never met, were really generous.”
Overall, the event raised around $20,000 in cash donations for haircuts done on the day, plus 48 ponytails were cut, said Wigs For Kids chairperson Bev Friesen, adding it requires three pony tails to make one wig.
