Unisa online - Donate your lovely locks for cancer

Simon Gear (Climatologist and TV and radio weather man) getting in the spirit for CANSA Shavathon 2012

Is your hair longer than 22cm, clean, dry and free of permanent colour, bleach or other chemical treatments? If it is, then you are the perfect candidate to donate hair to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).

You can do this on 1 and 2 March 2012 when Unisa’s Employee Relations, Wellness and Policy Directorate hosts the annual CANSA Shavathon.

CANSA’s Drice Rossouw has urged Unisa staff, their family and friends to donate hair in support of cancer survivors who undergo chemotherapy which causes their hair to fall out. “We do accept donations of human hair at our Shavathons and throughout the year at our head office in Gauteng.”  

She said that hair donations are sent to Lace Hair and CANSA receives a percentage of the proceeds from the sold wigs towards their wide-reaching health programmes.

Rossouw says the requirements for hair donations are as follows:

• Hair that is 22cm or longer.
• Hair that is clean, dry and free of permanent colour, bleach or other chemical treatments as this produces a higher quality of wig. Dreadlocks cannot be used.
• When cutting your hair, tie your hair into a ponytail and then cut with a pair of scissors. Bind both ends with an elastic band and place each donation in a separate zip-lock bag as this preserves it in the best condition while being transported to the wig manufacturer. (Bring your own zip-lock bags to the Unisa Shavathon and do not forget to label your bag with your name and contact details.)

This year the CANSA Shavathon commemorates nine years of shaving and spraying, and Shavathons will be held in over 300 workplaces and organisations on 1 and 2 March 2012, and in over 200 shopping centres on 3 and 4 March 2012.

Unisa staff are encouraged to show solidarity by attending the event to either shave or spray their hair. Colour-spray your hair with stencils in the shape of a star, butterfly, flower, soccer ball, lightning bolt or “warrior” word design and make a difference.

The Shavathon will take place on Thursday 1 March 2012 at the Florida Campus, outside the link area between A & C Blocks and on Friday 2 March 2012 at the Muckleneuk campus, in front of the Protea restaurant. Both Shavathons will take place from 9:00 to 14:00. If you are interested in spraying (removable, water-based paint) or cutting your hair during the event, kindly forward your details to muldeem@unisa.ac.za for the Florida campus and mogobth@unisa.ac.za for the Muckleneuk campus.

Show your support by shaving or spraying your hair in a multitude of colours and pay only a R50 donation. Proceeds from the Shavathon are used towards CANSA’s wide-reaching health programmes.

If you wish to post your donated hair, please do so to the following address:

For Attention: Drice Rossouw
CANSA Head Office
PO Box 2121, Bedfordview 2008

*For more information on CANSA, hair donation and the Shavathon, visit: http://www.shavathon.org.za/