“Each year I try to give some of my time to a great cause. Last year, I volunteered as a buddy at a camp that helps kids affected by cancer. It aims to take children’s minds off of the hospitals and treatments. While I was spending time with these families, I thought a lot about what it would be like to put an end to the suffering that cancer causes. It motivated me to continue my yearly ritual so no more families would have to go through this ever again.
That same year I witnessed a wave of cancer diagnoses. Sadly, a work colleague of mine and several family friends passed away. While I consider myself lucky to have had none of my immediate family diagnosed with cancer, it seems to be happening all around me. My husband’s already lost an aunt to breast cancer and another one of his aunts was recently diagnosed.
I’m shocked by the sheer number of people affected by cancer. I feel we should all do what we can to help eradicate or at least control the effects of this disease. I believe better prevention and treatments will only come about through research which is what led me to Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF).
When I went searching for more information about funding cancer research discoveries I came across ACRF. I discovered that they’re a charity that supports research into all cancers and they help fund projects across Australia. After speaking with a staff member, I decided to support their efforts with my own fundraising event. I decided to donate my waist-long hair and help raise funds for Australian Cancer Research Foundation. My hair hasn’t been short since I was five years old so I was quite nervous about it.
Throughout the fundraising process, the love and support from family, friends and colleagues was amazing.
I also found that fundraising provided an opportunity for people to start a dialogue about personal experiences relating to cancer. A family friend is now looking into how she can help her daughter cut and donate her hair just like I did.
Learning how to style my new short hair is challenging but with the help of YouTube tutorials, I’m getting there. I’m actually really enjoying the change. I’ve discovered that a shower cap stays on so much better without a kilo of hair under it!” – ACRF supporter, Shanuki
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