(Press release via CHEO Foundation and The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.)
Hair Donation Ottawa, an annual, non-profit cancer research fundraiser held in April, raised $126,000 for cancer research at The Ottawa Hospital and CHEO and organizers present a cheque to the researchers it supports earlier today.
The event was organized by Helene Hutchings and Perry Pavlovic, two Stittsville-based real estate agents.
Participants collected pledges and donated their hair to make wigs for cancer patients. In return, they received a wash, cut and style or shave. Hair stylists from several Ottawa and area salons volunteered their time for this cause along with some of the teaching staff and students from the Algonquin College Hair Stylist program.
Participating in the cheque presentation were:
- Dr. John Bell, Senior Scientist, The Ottawa Hospital
- Dr. David Stojdl, Senior Scientist, CHEO Research Institute
- Helene Hutchings, Founder and Chair, Hair Donation Ottawa
- Jacqueline Belsito, Vice President, Philanthropy & Community Engagement, CHEO Foundation
- Tim Kluke, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Since 2011, Hair Donation Ottawa has raised more than $250,000 and 15,000 inches of hair. The funds raised support adult and childhood cancer research at The Ottawa Hospital and The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute. Hair donations go to 360-Hair a Canadian company providing free wigs to financially challenged children and young adult cancer patients across Canada.