Thursday, February 4 is World Cancer Awareness Day, a chance for people across the globe to raise funds and awareness for the disease that will affect 2 in 5 Canadians.
Worldwide, 15 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2015 alone, according to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, which launched the #nohairselfie campaign.
People everywhere are shaving their heads and posting a selfie using the hashtag to promote awareness and help raise funds, including Country 93.3’s Pete Potipcoe.
Potipcoe has also put out the challenge to listeners to donate $1,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society here in Fort McMurray. If that money is raised Program Director John Knox will also shave his head.
The funds raised today support research which is proven to directly increase survival rates, according to John Tupper with the Canadian Cancer Society here in Fort McMurray. For example, he said, both breast cancer and prostate cancer have seen survival rates increase to above 90 per cent and 85 per cent respectively since the focus for fundraising has been directed to fighting those diagnoses.
Money raised here in town stays in the region and is directed to research and care.
