Growing three times from its original patient intake in 2007, the Cancer Care area at St. Joseph’s Hospital is expanding, thanks in part to many close shaves from the hospital’s employees.
The eighth annual head shave is scheduled for July 17 at 1 p.m. in the lobby of the hospital, and five staff members will be leaving their hair behind to raise funds for the unit.
To date, $91,000 has been raised through the event by staff, physicians and members of the community.
This year, all funds raised will support the cancer care expansion.
“In 2007, staff from carpentry and the engineering departments thought of the idea for a fundraiser,” explained Lynn Dashkewytch, executive director of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation.
She added with the new hospital four years away from being ready, there was a requirement needed to create a larger space for patients needing treatment, rather than have them travel to Vancouver or Victoria for care.
The new space has room for treatment chairs, as well as a waiting room, patient education centre, two examination rooms, patient and staff washrooms and a nursing station. One hundred per cent of the cost of the renovations, equipment and furnishing came from donations from the community.
This year, Glen Clark and Curtis Gonzales from housekeeping, Kevin Scheuerman and Trini Hill from the lab and Chris Kelsey, president of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Board, will raise funds and shave their heads for the fundraiser.
To make a donation to support the head shaving challenge, pledges can be dropped off to any of the participants or the Hospital Foundation office in the lobby of St. Joseph’s. All pledges will be entered for a chance to win WestJet tickets for two anywhere they fly.
For more information, call 890-3046 or e-mail foundation@sjghcomox.ca.