The Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) kickstarted this year’s Hair for Hope (HFH) campaign on Sunday (2 May), Mothership reports.

After a one-year hiatus in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, HFH has re-launched in a virtual format, and targets to attract more than 1,500 participants. 

In so doing, it aims to collect S$1.5 million in donations to help children and families who are battling cancer.

How to Participate?

To participate in the programme, you’ll need to shave your head bald, and HFH has arranged for a special 20% discount at 11 partner salons.

Other offsite shaving options can be individually sought by the participants, though HFH advises against shaving at home to prevent injuries. 

Additional safety advisories are also issued in light of the COVID-19 situation, including provisions that participants shave alone and the cancellation of public head-shaving events.

To sign up to be a participant, you can follow this link.

Ceremony Had Ong Ye Kung as Guest of Honour; Cancer Survivor as First to Be Shaved

The launch of the event was live streamed on Facebook, and was held at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. You can watch a recording of the event below:

Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung was invited to be the guest of honour, or in this event’s case, a “ceremonial shaver” who shaved the hair of 12-year-old cancer survivor Terry Goh. 

A CCF beneficiary who was stricken with Burkitt lymphoma at the age of seven, Goh volunteered for shaving as a gesture of solidarity with other children battling cancer, though he himself is in remission.

In a Facebook post, Ong pledged his support to children affected by cancer, remarking that “Their journeys are not easy, and their courage and resilience deserves our support.”

Why Head-Shaving? 

According to the CCF’s website, shaving one’s hair bald is meant to be a “symbolic gesture” that would help raise awareness for childhood cancer in Singapore by replicating the hair loss that is a common side effect of chemotherapy. 

It then becomes a gesture of support to children and their families battling cancer that they are not alone, and helps to fight the stigma against baldness. 

HFH 2021 is scheduled to run from 2 May to 30 June, and registrations will close on 22 June.

If you would like to contribute to the CCF’s cause without shaving, you can make a donation here or find other information on HFH’s website.

Feature Image: Facebook (Ong Ye Kung)