Mona Hagenbring knows what it’s like to wake up the next morning and look in the mirror after having her luxurious head of hair shaved to raise money for cancer.
But, says the Qualicum Beach resident, it wasn’t traumatic at all — and she’s planning to do it again.
It’s all a matter of putting things in context.
“I’m not worried about it,” she said. “People who go through cancer, especially the kids who lose their hair, go through so much more. I can deal with a bald head. At least mine will grow back.”
Hagengring is getting her head shaved in a bid to raise money for the Cops for Cancer — Tour de Rock campaign and will lose her locks at Deez Bar and Grill on Aug. 6.
“This is the second time I’ve done this. The first time was five years ago. I was dealing with a lot of people who were dealing with cancer and I lost some of them, so this is for Judy and Randy, two very close personal friends.”
She said she was able to donate 19 inches of usable hair in her first excursion into the world of temporary baldness and she hopes to be able to do the same this time around.
“The longer the hair is, the more chance it will be used for a wig for a kid’s wig,” she said. “Little girls like long hair.”
Her fundraising goal, she added, is $5,000. Her first foray saw her exceed her goal of $3,000 by a whopping $2,015.
Although she plans to go right down to the scalp, Hagenbring stressed people who want to donate their hair for cancer wigs don’t necessarily have to go that far.
“They don’t have to shave,” she said. “They need a minimum of 10 inches, with no perms, dye and no more than five per cent gray.”
This last provision, she said, laughing, is one reason she decided to go ahead with her second head shaving now.
“I’m still good, but you know, it won’t be too long,” she said. “It’s not the colour so much as the coarseness that they don’t like.”
Anyone who would like to assist Hagenbring in her project can call her at 250-752-0483 or visit www.copsforcancerbc.ca/tourderock/monasheadshave.
news@pqbnews.com