More than $8000.00 was raised in pledges from friends, family and fellow staff members who were on hand to witness the shearing that took place in the Misericordia lobby and at West Edmonton Mall. "I'm proud of my staff and of their leadership role in this cause," notes Caritas Security Manager, Wayne Gesy. "As security working in hospitals, we see many people with cancer. It just made sense that we would make an effort to tackle this disease which affects so many people in our community. This initiative brought our team much closer."

Jody-Lynn Collings, LPN on 7West Medicine Unit at the MCH, had been thinking of participating ever since she witnessed a female paramedic get her head shaved at West Edmonton Mall a few years ago.  She had a more personal inspiration to get involved this year. "I decided to do this in memory of my Uncle George who died in February," says Jody-Lynn, who hopes ultimately to work in Palliative Care. "I also did it in honour of the many, many cancer over the years and in a special way in support of a special young woman who is currently on my unit." She collected just under $1,000 from patients, family and coworkers, many of whom showed up to witness her head being shaved in the MCH lobby.

"I was very emotional right before the shaving," says Jody-Lynn. She admits to crying for days afterwards and covering her head with a toque until she ran into the wife of a former palliative patient at a formal function. "She said to me, 'Be strong, be proud. You did a wonderful thing.' And 1 haven't worn a toque since." Now Jody - Lynn chuckles about the looks she gets when out with her boyfriend, "He shaves his head all the time, so we are a pretty scary couple now!"

Edmonton Sergant Gary Goulet of the Edmonton Police Service launched Cops for Cancer in June 1994.  His inspiration was Lyle Jorgenson, a five-year-old boy who had cancer. Goulet had asked to meet the boy after learning that classmates were teasing Lyle because of hair loss due to chemotherapy. Goulet was so moved by Lyle's story that he decided to take action. Since his head was already shaved, Goulet gathered a group of Edmonton officers who were willing to shave their own heads and joined Lyle at school to show kids that being bald was cool. The nation-wide program has raised over $ 1.1 million in support of research and quality of life enhancements for people living with cancer.