A bald statement

This Saturday evening might just be that little bit colder at night for over 30 generous and committed supporters of the annual Bluesky Shave It, Save It or Dye It fundraiser.

That’s because they’ve all made the decision to have their heads shaved completely in order to help raise funds for the Samoa Cancer Society.

Most of the “Shavees” are men for this part of the fundraiser.

There are also a few women who will be going under the clippers including, Lemalu Sina Retzlaff and Melissa Callaghan.

Local business owners including Geoffrey Clarke, Bruce Lei’ataua, Horace Evans and Va’aiga Tuigamala are just a few of the 30 plus participants going bald in support of this very important cause.

In addition to those, some opting to having their heads shaved there will be a number of participants having their hair dyed on the night.

These include (mainly women), Minister of Justice and Courts Administration, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Shelly Burich, Amanda Lam and Alise Stunnenberg.

Almost all of the participants have set themselves the goal of raising $5,000.00 each for this cause.

All the monies raised from this fundraising campaign, which has seen participants gathering support and donations for the last five weeks, will go toward the good work carried out by this independent not-for-profit organization.

An organization that provides dedicated support and education regarding Cancer to many families here in Samoa.

WHAT IS THE SAMOA CANCER SOCIETY?

The Samoa Cancer Society was established in 1998. It is run by a small and dedicated team whose aim is to reduce the number of people in Samoa diagnosed with cancer and ensure the best quality of life for those affected by cancer.

Their aim is to promote healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of developing cancer and encourage early detection and effective treatment of cancer.

An important part of the support that the Society offers is their National Cancer Resource Centre in Moto’otua. Qualified nurses are available to provide information and guidance in Samoan and English to cancer sufferers, their family and friends. They also encourage referrals from medical practitioners and health authorities for people seeking additional information on aspects of cancer.

The Centre is not a clinic and they do not carry out medical examinations or cancer screening. However, the staff there can guide and assist in accessing these services.

Ongoing Community Outreach & Education There is also a keen focus on community outreach and education. The Society aims to inform the public about the causes and nature of cancer and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in cancer prevention. The Society goal is to reach a cross section of Samoa and have a particular focus on vulnerable groups including women, children, elderly and remote communities.

FUNDING

Because the Samoa Cancer Society is a notfor- profit organization funding the good work the organization does, is invariably supported by financial assistance that can come from Government grants and local business donations, which the Society is very grateful for. One other avenue for gathering financial support is through organized fundraisers.

That brings us to the big fundraiser happening this Saturday night.

In addition to the hair dyeing and shaving going on there will be keynote addresses from Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, Bluesky Samoa and also special guest speakers Va’aiga Tuigamala and Fiame on why they chose to support this cause and become a shavee or dyee.

The venue for this year’s event will be at Y-Not Bar in Matautu and will commence at 6 p.m. There will also be a charity auction happening that night too, so please show your support for this great cause and make a night out by heading down to be part of this fantastic event.

There is also a smaller event happening at Home Café this Wednesday (tonight!) organized by one of this year’s participants Melissa Callaghan that will involve 2 live bands, raffles with great donated prizes and a huge charity auction featuring holiday escape accommodation packages donated from several of Samoa’s premium resorts and hotels. This start around 6:30 p.m., no cover charge.

For more information on how you can help support the Samoa Cancer Society with donations and pledges and this Saturday’s big event please contact Daryl Clarke via email at clarke@clarkelawyers.net

Or you can send a message to the Society via their Facebook page.

To find out more about the Society you can see more on their official web site which is www.samoacancer.com

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