Ty organises clip for cancer

CANDIDATES: Clipping for cancer are, from top left, Simon Drinkrow, Ty Stevens, Mike Stevens, Tamsyn Farr, Rafe Macdonald.

Coinciding with the annual cancer appeal and Daffodil Day, Ty Stevens, daughter of Mangawhai optometrists Mike and Carol-Ann Stevens, decided she wanted to raise money for cancer research. She contacted the Cancer Society who endorsed her effort and supplied balloons, bracelets to sell and collection buckets for the day. 

Ty’s decision was prompted by the news that both her aunties had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had mastectomies within 12 months of each other. Also, a child from her school is currently going through chemotherapy and her grandmother had also died of cancer. 

Showing some initiative, she discussed her head shaving plan with friends at school and after a lot of interest two others were allowed to participate. Pretty soon as the word spread another parent decided he would do it too, prompted by his sister going through chemo and both his mother and his wife's mother having had cancer. 

With family members having the disease plus his daughter’s commitment, Ty’s father Mike also decided to become a candidate for head shaving and Mangawhai Optometrists would help sponsor it not only with monetary donation but by also providing hats to keep those heads warm. 

Hairdresser Sean Burnett from The Salon, Kaiwaka, has kindly offered to give up his time and do the shaving and will also save Ty’s substantial hair to make a wig which is expected to raise $600 or more by itself. 

The group has a pitch outside the Village Hall at the Mangawhai Saturday morning market on August 25 and would be greatly encouraged by your support and of course, by any others who would be prepared to be ‘clipped for cancer.’