Jun. 11, 2020
COVID-19 has interrupted so many of our school routines and celebrations but it could not stop the heart of one community. Andrew Sibbald School has participated in Shave Your Lid for a Kid for the past 15 years.
Kids Cancer Care’s event is one of their largest fundraising initiatives, raising more than $14 million since its inception in 1998. Each year, hundreds of Alberta cut, colour or shave their heads for kids battling cancer. Brace actions show moral support for the 190 kids in Alberta who are diagnosed with cancer each year, while raising money for camp, research, tutoring and scholarship programs for young people affected by cancer.
When classes were cancelled, we wondered if the timing was wrong and if inviting families to raise funds would be a poor choice. Then it started. A couple of parent inquiries, followed by a request for a small event to keep the tradition alive. Then our community blew the doors off.
On Friday, May 22, Andrew Sibbald School hosted the first ever virtual Kids Cancer Care fundraiser. What an event it was! From the comforts of their homes, 22 students colored, cut or shaved their hair to support children battling cancer. We had the CEO, Christine McIver, join us and share her excitement for the event along with a brief history of Kids Cancer Care. She also brought along a special guest. Jocelyn, the Kids Cancer Care Spokeskid, who shared her heartfelt story about her recent battle with cancer. We invited some friends too. We invited our entire school community to join us and they showed up in force. With over 130 staff, students and families silently cheering and sharing their homemade signs of support, we hosted an event that lasted over two hours and went as smooth as butter. One could feel the passion for this event even though we were unable to be together physically.
We had set a goal of raising $5,000 through this event, feeling this might be ambitious. We were wrong. Our community shattered this raising over $16,000 for Kids Cancer Care. The generosity and commitment to this event continues to amaze us year after year. We feel blessed to be part of such a caring and generous school community.
