STORY AND PHOTOS BY VANESSA GILLIS
It all started with one little boy who lost his hair to cancer.
Cops for Cancer is an program that began in Edmonton in 1994 when 5-year-old Lyle Jorgenson lost his hair after going through cancer treatment.
Sergeant Gary Goulet was visiting Jorgenson’s school when he saw other kids teasing the boy because he didn’t have any hair.
Goulet went home that night, shaved his head, and returned to the school to show the children that it was okay to be bald.
“His platoon thought it was such a great idea, the entire shift shaved their hair,” said Const. Matt Miller of Peel Regional Police.
“From there on in the department got involved and since then it’s gone Canada-wide.”
Miller said the campaign, where officers collect donations to shave their hair, has raised more than $50 million Canada-wide, and since Peel got on board 10 years ago, they have raised more than $1 million.
“One hundred per cent of the money goes to the Canadian Cancer Society, so it’s a very good campaign…that’s why they shave their heads,” said Miller. “There’s been offers to shave other parts, but that doesn’t happen. It’s about shaving their head in support of those who are going to lose their hair through treatment.”
The event came to Sheridan’s HMC for the first time last week.
Lorraine Cipparrone, a professor in the Faculty of Business at HMC, reached out to Peel police to come to Sheridan.
“A friend of mine who was a Peel Regional police officer passed away last year from cancer, so a lot of the stuff that’s happening now this year is in his honour,” she explained, referring to Const. Hardeep Kang, who died last May.
“Lorraine was personal friends with Hardeep and I know that is behind all of this. This is done in his memory,” said Miller. “This is a very special event, this is a very personal event for a lot of people.”
At the event, three officers, four students and Cipparrone’s 10-year-old son, Daniel, shaved their heads.
“I have corporate donors that were willing to give me $1,000 if I got five students to shave, so I got my five,” Cipparrone said, adding that her son counted as one of her students.
Cipparrone’s team, Best in Blue, set their goal to $500, but have raised $1,000 so far and are one of the top three teams, according to the Canadian Cancer Society’s website.
Cops for Cancer will be holding another event on April 26 at Square One in Mississauga, where Miller said more officers, including women, will be shaving their hair.
“It’s a big event when a woman shaves her head, much bigger than when men shave their heads,” he joked.
For more information, to register, or to donate money for the cause, visit www.copsforcancer.ca.