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“Get Ready to Feel Like a Real Life Superhero!”
Posted on Aug 19, 2010
Head Hunter and Shaver Nancy Hart Shares her 2010 Shave for the Brave Story
Nancy Hart is a 34-year-old Senior Business Development Analyst with Nalcor Energy who decided not only to Shave for the Brave herself, but also to rally some co-workers in order to hold their own Shave event. On Friday, March 5th, 2010, 8 people went under the clippers at Nalcor’s head office at Hydro Place in St. John’s, NL. Together, the team raised almost $10,000 for the cause. The company also held a jeans day fundraiser to help with their fundraising total, actually setting a casual day record for the building with more than $1,670 collected in a single day!
Nancy talks about how she “felt powerless to help, I think cancer does that to people. I had a close family member die of cancer last year and a co-worker diagnosed in December. There seemed to be nothing I could do to help in a real way, so I decided to shave my head and see if I could convince others to join me. At least then I was DOING something.”
“I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD JUST RAISE A BUNCH OF MONEY AND THAT WOULD BE THAT…
...check the box, been there, done that, what’s next?” But Nancy got more than she bargained for. She still hasn’t found the right words to describe the feeling she gets when she thinks about her Shave team and the bond they created together through this event. She says: “It fills me up and makes me feel full, as cheesy as that sounds!”
“It was an amazing feeling to sit in Nalcor’s front lobby with friends, family and co-workers cheering and chanting my name.” The most memorable part of the experience was “the overwhelming feeling of being part of something bigger and better than just me. For days, weeks and months afterwards I was stopped in the hall and people shared their stories of cancer and what it meant to them for me to shave my head.”
So what are you waiting for? Check out shaverforthebrave.ca and start growing out that hair. We’ll let you know as soon as 2011 event details become available. Show your support for the 6,500 young adults diagnosed with cancer every year in Canada, and as Nancy says, get ready to feel like a real life superhero!
Nancy’s first cut…
Half way there!
The whole Nalcor team.
“Momma’s hair all gone!” ~Nancy’s then 23-month-old daughter.
Empowered to Survive & Thrive
Posted on Jul 26, 2010
KAYAKING CANCER SURVIVORS
Adventure therapy is defined by Wikipedia as “the creation of opportunities to explore the unknown in a safe environment through adventure activities”. And that’s exactly what Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) team member Mike Lang and his wife Bonnie provide through YACC’s Survive & Thrive Expeditions.
For the second year in a row, in July a group of young adult cancer survivors kayaked down a remote river in Oregon, meeting and beating physical and mental challenges head on and learning about nature, teamwork and life as they went.
ALSTON’S STORY
Alston Adams is a young adult cancer survivor who participated in Survive & Thrive last year. He knew that a positive, life-changing opportunity like this might never come around again and jumped at the chance to join this courageous group. He talks about his experience:
“One thing that stood out for me was the absolute beauty of the environment. 8.5 days with no other humans in sight, in a pristine and remote part of the world, changes your perspective on a lot of things… I now have people across the country that know me and genuinely care about my well-being because of this project. I can reach out to people and tell them that they can accomplish more than they realize.”
The most rewarding part of his trip was forging relationships and meeting all challenges successfully, even when they fell out of the boats!
Alston is grateful to Mike & Bonnie, YACC, and all of YACC’s donors and supporters for helping to make this program possible. He says:
“Thank You! More people need to experience what I have experienced… [and] I would recommend this to anyone wanting to experience more than what they know.”
10 in 2010, plus Top 10!
Posted on Jul 09, 2010
TEN YEARS IN
Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) turns ten years old this year and it’s pretty amazing to look back at what we’ve been able to accomplish for our community. We here at YACC are fiercely proud that we continue to serve and build upon essential support programs for the “forgotten generation” of young adults diagnosed with cancer.
As a growing office team of 7, YACC is now providing annual Retreats, Conferences, Workshops, and 24/7 online support among many other things, cost-free to the young adults that really need it. Awesome. The Shave for the Brave has been the driver of our growth in the past 5 years!
COOLEST THINGS WE’VE DONE
Our Executive Director, Geoff Eaton, has written a Top 10 List of the coolest things he thinks YACC has done over the past decade. Here’s just one of them:
#7 - Retreat Yourself 2005 – Our first face-to-face event with survivors, the beginnings of our national network of survivors. We would not have done this without the network of health professionals who believed in our new organization and brand new program. Although they had few or no other options for young adults their trust helped us take this next great step and it revolutionized our organization.
Check out the rest of the list.
Retreat Yourself Video & Testimonial
Posted on Jul 09, 2010
23 Survivors and Supporters Retreat Themselves Thanks to Shave for the Brave.
AWESOME RETREAT
Funds raised from the 2010 Shave for the Brave allow Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) to provide various support programs for young adults with cancer in Canada. One of these programs, Retreat Yourself, was just held from May 27-31 in Abbotsford, BC.
Retreat Yourself is an annual five-day life-changing weekend where young adult cancer survivors and their supporters can get together with both peer and professional facilitators to share their experiences, learn from one another, and just relax and have fun!
Check out this awesome video taken at the event - just enter the password: retreat2010.
RETREATER TESTIMONIAL
Two people in attendance at Retreat Yourself 2010 were Tanya and Chris. Tanya was diagnosed with cervical cancer one month ago and she and her husband Chris live in Red Deer with three small children. Their experience at the Retreat was life changing. Tanya told us,
“Retreat Yourself has changed both of our lives in so many ways, it is a life-altering experience. It is almost as if you step out of life for a moment and reach to the souls of a new community. This new community becomes the most amazing support that anyone could ever imagine. I will never feel alone in this fight again. I have a new family. Thank you. You have touched my soul and saved my perception of life!”
St. Joseph’s Shave
Posted on Jul 08, 2010
This past Shave for the Brave season was certainly a stellar one which is even more evident as the Shave donations continue to come in. We recently learned that St.Joseph’s Elementary raised $1,367 and shaved 9 heads. Given that St. Joseph’s is a smaller school in terms of population this is a tremendous achievement. Big thanks go out to Colin Pittman, a teacher at St. Joseph’s for organizing the Shave at that school. Way to Go everyone, you all ROCK 
Thank You Mobile
Posted on Jun 04, 2010
Mobile Central High School shaved on May 13th and It was once again a success. Student, Brandon St.Croix was the Shave organizer out there again this year with 12 people shaving and raising almost $500, way to go! You guys are truly making a difference for young adult cancer survivors!
Thank You, Videos, & Registration 2011
Posted on May 27, 2010
Shave for the Brave 2010 was the biggest and baldest Shave to date!
SHINIEST SHAVE
This year, a record 998 heads were shaved and $311,000 was raised to support young adults with cancer. The number of events this year was HUGE with a total of 32 different School, Office, Community and Solo Shaves happening, for the first time, across the COUNTRY!
VIDEOS
Check out these two quick videos we put together for everyone who participated this year. The first is about the Shave, the second is about Young Adult Cancer Canada’s (YACC) programs – where the money goes. Share with your friends!
SHAVE REPORT
This year we have also compiled a ‘Shave Report’ that outlines some key metrics around the successes of this year’s Shave for the Brave. We invite you to take a look.
2011 REGISTRATION
Please note that this year’s CUT-OFF for online registration is May 31, 2010. Keep your eyes and ears open for EARLY REGISTRATION starting in NOVEMBER 2010 for next year! Donors may continue to give on the site.
Get your friends to sign up for Shave for the Brave News so they can stay in the loop too!
Words of Praise for MPI
Posted on May 20, 2010
The Brave Shavers from Mount Pearl Intermediate
On May 4th, MHA of Mount Pearl North, Steve Kent gave a Member Statement in the NL House of Assembly congratulating Mount Pearl Intermediate School (MPI) for their very successful Skype Challenge Shave. MPI partnered with Glenmore Christian Academy in Calgary this year to raise a final total of $35,718 for the Shave for the Brave with 142 heads shaved, a magnificent feat! Check out the congratulatory video below… and thank you Mr.Kent for recognizing two truly amazing schools!
Mount Pearl North MHA Congratulates MPI
The Kids Are Better Than Alright
Posted on May 20, 2010
Shaver Christian Legge proudly displays his amount raised for the Shave for the Brave.
Shaver Brenda Wells with mom, Elaine Wells, brother (and shaver) Brandon Wells and a Woodford’s hair stylist.
Shave organizer (and former shaver) Lindsay Dwyer presenting cheque to YACC Event Coordinator, Janine Wilson.
We at Young Adult Cancer Canada are wrapping up another very successful Shave for the Brave. We set new records for heads shaved, 998, and dollars raised, $311,000.
Part of the wrap-up process is reviewing the event delivery and reports highlighting everything from revenue to Shaver participation. As I checked out the results from our demographic survey done prior to registering for the Shave at the Avalon Mall, held on Saturday, March 6 this year, I was moved to share some of the insights of that and other reports.
First, don’t believe the hype about the next generation being lost, lazy and lacking motivation. Just because they have different interests and different motivations than previous generations does not mean they are lacking motivation.
The 2010 Shave for the Brave was comprised of 32 separate shave events held in offices, schools and malls in Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Ontario. 62% of those 998 heads shaved this year were 20 years of age or less, a total of 615 shavers.
These 615 shavers made this huge sacrifice to support young adults with cancer, many did it in honor or in memory of a loved one touched by cancer. They did this at a time in their life when their appearance is subject to daily scrutiny by peers and when the judgment by those peers can be crushing to their self-esteem.
Christian Legge, a nine year old student at MacDonald Drive Elementary shaved for the fourth time raising over $3300 this year, his best effort yet. Brenda Wells, a grade eight student at Frank Roberts Junior High shaved in honor of her Dad, who passed away when she was just 20 months old. She out did her big brother Brandon, who shaved last year, by raising more than $1,000.
Lindsay Dwyer, a Shaver in 2009, redirected her energy this year by organizing a Shave for the Brave at her school, Beaconsfield Junior High, where they shaved 26 heads and raised almost $5,000.
These are a few of the young people who took a risk, volunteered their time and made a commitment to something much bigger than themselves. The young adults we support every day will see the benefit.
On behalf of the brave young adults we serve we say thank you to all Shavers, Head Hunters, donors and sponsors, and especially to the younger Shavers for being better than alright.
Always… Live life. Love life.
Geoff
Jack’s Shave for the Brave Experience
Posted on May 12, 2010
Jack Daly, a fourth grader at Vanier Elementary School, recently gave a speech to his class about his experience Shaving for the Brave this year. Jack is certainly on his way to becoming a great writer, you can read Jack’s wonderful speech below. Thank you for Shaving and sharing your story Jack!
My Shave for the Brave Experience
Hi! I guess you’ve all noticed that I’m pretty much bald. That’s because I participated in Shave for the Brave. But anyway, my name is Jack Daly and today I am going to talk to you about why I Shaved for the Brave and about what it felt like and feels like.The reasons I decided to shave for the brave are because my pop has cancer and I wanted to help him and others who have cancer. The other reason is because I wanted to know what it felt like to be bald. I guess my wish came true! Before I shaved, I raised $957 for young adults with cancer. To raise this money, I first set up a web page on shaveforthebrave.ca and I set myself a goal to raise $500. I next sent out emails to friends and family to ask them to sponsor me. It was fun checking my webpage every day to see my progress and to read the kind and supporting messages left by donors. I was really surprised to beat my goal of $500 with more than a week to go before the big day.
Well, on the morning of March 6th, shave day, I went to Bell Island to play a hockey game with a full head of hair, or as my dad called it, “some great cabbage”. Then, I went to the Avalon Mall to get my head shaved with my mom, my dad, my brother, my nan, and my aunt. There were a lot of other people who were also there to shave their heads. It was like a bald party! When my head was getting shaved, it felt like my mom tickling me when I was younger. Well you know, being bald is kind of cold when it’s windy or there is a low temperature outside. It was weird to touch my head at first because when I rubbed my head in one direction it felt pointy, but when I rubbed it in the other direction it felt soft.
Right after I had my head shaved, I had another hockey game, but here in St. John’s. My teammates, who had just seen me a few hours earlier with a full head of hair, saw me bald for the first time! They were shocked to see me with no hair, but they also congratulated me.
The first time I heard about Shave for the Brave, I was at Mile One Centre. I was walking through the hall and I saw some people getting their head shaved. That is what inspired me to get my head shaved to support young adults with cancer.
The reason why I shared my Shave for the Brave experience with you today is because I felt good doing this and I would like to encourage others to step up and make a sacrifice for a good cause. I will certainly do it again next year and I plan to be a Head Hunter by organizing a school-wide shave here at Vanier. I am challenging you today to participate in next year’s shave with me!Thank you all for listening. I thought doing Shave for the Brave was rewarding in so many ways and I felt so good doing it too. I also like my new hairdo.
Way to go Villanova!
Posted on May 10, 2010
Villanova Junior High School in Conception Bay South was the top-fundraising school in Newfoundland for Shave for the Brave 2010. They also had the highest participation!
Representatives from Villanova were unable to attend the Shave Thank You Party we held here in St. John’s on April 25, so we wanted to make sure we went to them to show how much we appreciated their support. Here are a couple pictures from the presentation.
Huge thanks once again to Head Hunters Darlene Moulton and Cathy Martin-Hale for making Villanova’s Shave the most successful to date!
CEO of Canadian Partnership Against Cancer Shaves for the Brave! Watch the video
Posted on Apr 30, 2010
From Cancer View Canada (cancerview.ca)
“The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s CEO recently lost her locks for a good cause. In March 2010, Jessica Hill joined hundreds of people affected by cancer at Shave for the Brave, a head-shaving event in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to benefit Young Adult Cancer Canada. She raised more than $4,500.
‘This is an opportunity to show support for people living with cancer,’ Ms. Hill says. ‘Everybody’s cancer journey is unique, and this is a recognition of their strength and their commitment to living.’”
Shave Thank You Party in Calgary
Posted on Apr 26, 2010
For the first time ever, Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) held a Community Shave in Calgary, AB, with the help of our new Regional Coordinator Mike Lang. He also helped to organize another first for YACC - a Skype Challenge between AB school Glenmore Christian Academy and NL school Mount Pearl Intermediate.
Both events were AWESOME so in addition to the St. John’s Party we have every year, we wanted to make sure we did something similar out West this year to thank all the amazing shavers, head hunters, mane mamas, volunteers, donors and sponsors who contributed to the Shave from across the country!
Special thanks to Southcentre Mall, MC College and AMP radio for your generous participation and really helping us to ramp up excitement in Alberta around the Shave this year.
Check out the pictures from the party below!
Shave Thank You Party in St. John’s
Posted on Apr 26, 2010
We did it! With all the help of this year’s shavers, head hunters, mane mamas, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and other phenomenal supporters, we’ve shaved a RECORD 997 heads and raised a RECORD $310,000+ at 30 different Shave events to support young adults with cancer! Way to go everyone! We wanted to thank all the amazing individuals and groups who came out and helped make this year such a shiny success, so we held a thank you party at the Comfort Inn in St. John’s on Sunday, April 25. Those recognized included:
INDIVIDUALS
3rd Place Fundraiser - Jessica Hill ($4,500+)
2nd Place Fundraiser Individual - Ricky Greenwood ($5,500+)
1st Place Fundraiser Individual - Brian Vallis ($8,500+)
SPONSORS
Event Sponsors - Avalon Mall, Woodford Training Centre, East Coast beauty, The Telegram
Participating Sponsor - TD Canada Trust
Supporting Sponsors - HITS FM, Bell Aliant
OFFICES
3rd Place NL Fundraiser - GSF Grand Banks ($5,000+)
2nd Place NL Fundraiser - Nalcor ($9,500+)
1st Place NL Fundraiser - Bell Aliant/xwave - ($10,500+)
SCHOOLS
3rd Place NL Fundraiser - Upper Gullies Elementary School ($8,500+)
2nd Place NL Fundraiser - Mount Pearl Intermediate ($9,500+)
1st Place NL Fundraiser - Villanova Junior High ($13,000+)
BRAVEST SCHOOL BANNER (for highest percentage of participation)
Villanova Junior High (80 of 630 students, or 12.7%
Of course HUGE thanks also goes out to the many first-time out-of province shavers, especially Glenmore Christian Academy in Calgary who helped host our very first Skype Shave Challenge with Mount Pearl Intermediate here in NL!
An extra thanks also to Bell Aliant, who donated the prizes for the top individual fundraisers, and to our lovely Renee Bennett for speaking at the event. We know that various additional sponsors also stepped up at the various Shave locations here in NL and across the country, like Gander Mall, Marble Mountain, and Southcentre Mall.
We want to say thank you to each of you as well - we couldn’t have done it without you!
Check out the videos we showed at the party:
Shave for the Brave 2010 Thank You Video
Where Does the Money Go? (YACC’s Support Programs)
Some pictures of the party:
Shave Challenge Goes Head to Head at m5
Posted on Apr 23, 2010
Two brave shavers from m5 lost their locks in support of the Shave for the Brave, Jim Mackey and Gareth Mitton, and raised an amazing $4,200! The two had originally started a competition to raise more money than the other, with the “loser” having to shave. But in the end, both decided to do the deed. And we’re glad, because there are no losers when it comes to participating in the Shave for the Brave!
Huge thanks guys!
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