Hair Donation Ottawa’s 9th annual event set to take place during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Since 2011, Hair Donation Ottawa (HDO), together with their volunteers and supporters, has raised over $570,000 for cancer research and has donated over 25,000 inches of hair to empower kids with hair loss by providing them with free wigs. On Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 9:30AM – 4:30PM at the Algonquin College Salon, Spa and Boutique (1385 Woodroffe Avenue, Building A), you can help to grow those numbers and support the children and youth of your community at Hair Donation Ottawa’s 9th annual event.

Participants have the opportunity to raise pledges for donating their hair and/or shave their heads (or beards). At the event, those who choose to donate their hair receive a wash, cut and style or shave by volunteer Ottawa hairdressers and stylists, as well as teachers and students from the Algonquin College Hair Stylist Program; so that participants can feel good about your contribution, and look good afterwards.

“Founded by cancer survivor Helene Hutchings, this event is testament to our amazing Ottawa community who has come together year after year to make a difference," said Katherine Craig, CHEO's community engagement coordinator. "Not only have substantial funds been raised to advance cancer research, this event has become an opportunity to gather, support and take action as a community. The success of the event would not be possible without our amazing fundraising participants, our talented stylists, and our wonderful event volunteers and sponsors. CHEO is here thanks to our strong community network – this support does not go unnoticed.”  

Hair Donation Ottawa accepts all hair types and colours; whether natural, treated, white/grey, etc. A hair cut prior to the event is also welcomed, as long as it is cleaned and dried before cutting and is stored in a ponytail or braid. For donations, hair must be a minimum length of 6 inches to be donated towards wigs, however all shorter donations (hair shy of the minimum length, beard trimmings, scrap pieces of hair, etc) can be used towards Green Circle Salons' sustainable green initiatives.

All suitable hair donations go towards the custom manufacturing and fitting of free wigs for Ottawa children suffering from hair loss due to medical reasons and who cannot afford other, more expensive wigs.

The fundraising minimum for participants is $75 for children/youth, and $150 for adults. All proceeds from the event will go towards funding cutting edge childhood cancer research at the CHEO Research Institute, and two annual bursaries to financially challenged ‘Algonquin College Hair Stylist Program’ students to help with student fees.

To register, click here.