Nor'West News: September 10, 2020
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4 Thursday <strong>September</strong> <strong>10</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
ews<br />
NOR’WEST NEWS<br />
Students to shave heads for fundraiser<br />
• By Bea Gooding<br />
DOZENS OF high school<br />
students will be shaving their<br />
heads in solidarity with young<br />
people facing cancer this<br />
month.<br />
More than <strong>10</strong>0 St Bede’s<br />
College students will be taking<br />
part in a head-shave fundraiser<br />
for CanTeen after their biennial<br />
event Run for Life was cancelled<br />
due to Covid-19.<br />
The school participated in<br />
CanTeen’s Run for Life every<br />
two years, where teams are<br />
challenged to run <strong>10</strong>0km over<br />
five days from eight different<br />
locations across the South Island<br />
back to Christchurch.<br />
Event co-ordinator Rachel<br />
Pitcaithly said not giving<br />
back this year “didn’t sit<br />
comfortably” with the students,<br />
but they did not want to let the<br />
pandemic get in the way of their<br />
efforts.<br />
“It was really heartbreaking,<br />
especially for the boys who were<br />
waiting to do the run in their<br />
senior year. It’s something that’s<br />
become so special to our hearts,”<br />
she said.<br />
“It’s a real character-builder,<br />
the friendship and camaraderie<br />
that comes out of it is quite<br />
special.”<br />
The fundraiser was usually a<br />
challenge many students looked<br />
forward to, pushing themselves<br />
to run at least 25km per day.<br />
During the previous event in<br />
2018, students raised $160,000,<br />
which was donated to CanTeen<br />
– a charity that supports young<br />
people aged between 13 to<br />
24-years old come to grips with<br />
the emotional and practical toll<br />
of cancer.<br />
Pitcaithly said continuing the<br />
initiative this year was important<br />
for many students because of the<br />
impact the disease had on their<br />
lives.<br />
They aimed to raise $30,000<br />
towards the cause.<br />
“We all know someone<br />
affected by cancer – we know<br />
of students with cancer or who<br />
lost their parents while at school.<br />
It could be any one of us,” she<br />
said.<br />
It will be no ordinary lunch<br />
break at St Bede’s as the school<br />
transforms into a barbershop for<br />
the day, with family members<br />
and CanTeen staff in charge of<br />
the razors.<br />
The students were feeling<br />
determined, but “nervous,” to<br />
lose their locks, especially with<br />
the school’s upcoming formal,<br />
but valued the fact that this was<br />
already a reality for many people<br />
SOLIDARITY:<br />
More than<br />
<strong>10</strong>0 St Bede’s<br />
College<br />
students will<br />
be shaving<br />
their heads<br />
to raise<br />
money for<br />
cancer charity<br />
CanTeen.<br />
with the disease.<br />
“They’ll learn about their<br />
inner strength, valuing<br />
something others lose and gives<br />
our boys an honest view on life<br />
and what’s important,” said<br />
Pitcaithly.<br />
•Donations can be<br />
made at https://canteen.<br />
everydayhero.com/nz/<br />
team-st-bede-s-collegeheadshave
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