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Off with the Coif: Sudburian raising money for NOFCC

Will donate hair to make wigs for cancer patients
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Larah Bigras will cut her hair on April 15 to raise funds for the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer. She's hoping to raise $25,000. Photo: Arron Pickard

Larah Bigras is fond of her hair.

She hasn't cut her locks since she was a child, and it now measures about 48 centimetres (19 inches) in length.

She's willing to part with it, though, if it will collect money for the Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer, which provides immediate emotional and financial support to families across the north who have children struggling with cancer. It supports more than 160 families per year.

She has called her campaign Off with the Coif. It launched Jan. 16.

“My goal is to raise $25,000 by April 15,” she said. 

That's when she will set up at centre court of the New Sudbury Shopping Centre. She's hoping a large crowd will gather to watch her get her hair cut and her head shaved. Her hair will be donated to Wigs for Kids, and she wants to auction off the chance for someone to shave her head bald.

“I'm somewhat excited, but I'm also very nervous,” she said. “For many women, our hair is our femininity, and we use it to express who we are in so many different ways.”

Everyone has been touched by cancer, she said. Most recently, her mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but is now in remission.

Bigras works for Shaw Direct Satellite TV. Through her work, Bigras approached the NOFCC to see how the two organizations could work together. After that meeting, she said she was blown away by the amount of work done by a small staff.

“I wanted to do something above and beyond the partnership with Shaw,” she said. “I want to bring more awareness to this organization. I've lived in Sudbury my entire life, and I didn't know they were there. They have great services for people who need it, and if you don't know the help is out there, then you can't take advantage of it. I came up with this idea, and it kind of snowballed into this campaign.”

Bigras set up a crowdfunding page at Canadahelps.org. To date, she has raised $1,345 online, but that doesn't include the cash donations she has received in person.

“(The fundraising) is a challenge,” she said. “I will understand if we don't reach the fundraising goal, but technically, I've already won. The NOFCC will have more money than it had before, and there will be more awareness of it. But, I want to remain optimistic, because there are a lot of good people out there.”

Bigras is also putting together a few events to further her fundraising efforts. On April 1 — her birthday — Bigras will hold a birthday fundraiser at Rhythm 'N' Cues starting at 6:30 p.m. For $15, people will be able to play pool all night long. There will also be a silent auction. You must be 19 years of age or older to attend.

For more information, visit Bigras' fundraising page at www.canadahelps.org
 


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Arron Pickard

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