Some people will do anything for money, but would most people shave their heads for money for someone else?
Trey Prince would and he did, after fundraising over $4,000 in just a few weeks for the charity Balding for Dollars, which helps families with sick children with their expenses during treatment. Trey had his head shaved in Vancouver at the Children’s Hospital in May.
The ten-year-old young man was inspired by his grandmother Anne Joseph, who had her head shaved last year, after raising around $2,000.
Both Joseph and Prince shaved their heads in honour of Trey’s younger brother Sam “the Tank” Prince, who passed away in August of 2010 after two and a half years battling cancer from a rare medical condition called myelodisplastic syndrome.
The charity organization was a huge help to Trey and Sam’s mom Billie Prince while Sam was undergoing treatments in Vancouver at the Children’s Hospital, and Billie said they helped with everything from flights and organizing doctors when Sam relapsed, to one drug during his treatment which wasn’t covered by their insurance and cost $5,000 a month.
While Trey modestly shrugs off the sacrifice of his hair, saying it was getting too long anyhow, his mom Billie lamented its loss.
“It was beautiful,” she said
Trey did what he could for the charity, and his mom says that is his nature.
“He’s always trying to volunteer,” said Billie Prince.
Now shaving their heads has become a bit of a family tradition, and the family hopes to raise even more money for the charity, starting early, with Sam and Trey’s sister Jewel offering to cut off her ponytail this year for the cause.
Trey has set a more ambitious goal of $10,000 for the family this year, but his grandmother is hopeful they can raise more than they have in the past by fundraising all year.
“We’re gonna get continued support for this because it’s close and dear to our heart eh,” said Joseph. “We’re gonna continue on every year.”
She is already collecting bottles from donors towards the goal, and will pick up anyone’s bottles who would like to donate and Trey is eager to bake goodies to sell at bingo or other events.
Billie Prince would like to bring a little different event to town to raise money and awareness. A fan of the Vancouver Zombie Walk, in which people dress up as zombies and walk along a route in character.
They are also contemplating bringing the balding event itself to the Fort, instead of travelling to the group event in Vancouver, which the family pays for themselves.
By doing the head shaving and hair cutting locally, the family would not only save money, said Joseph, but it would help raise the profile of the charity in the community as well as get more people involved.
Anyone wanting to donate towards the family’s Balding for Dollars efforts can contact Anne Joseph at 996-8383.
While Sam may have lost his battle to cancer, his family continues on in his memory, and the five-year-old would surely be proud of their efforts.