Shave to Save

Great things happen in the coffee room at lunch. I have often said that far more gets done in a social setting than in a meeting setting; perhaps I just think better while eating. And it may not even the food that stimulates the good ideas, just the setting of couches and comfy chairs. You can thank Jack and Wendy for this good idea, and a good idea it is:

Shave to Save
Students and faculty from Olds College are heading to Bolivia—
but some heads will be better prepared than others.
Help prepare the travelers by donating funds for their haircut!!

In an effort to raise funds for the Bolivia Rural Health Project (an initiative that covers medical costs for individuals and families who cannot afford medical care) and for Bolivian agriculture projects, members of the team are donating their bodies (well, just their hair) to science (okay, it’s cosmetology, but that is science, right?) Gordon Gilchrist and Brent Nicol have already agreed to participate in this hair-raising scheme; others will soon join in the fun. These brave travelers have agreed to have their hair cut —shorter and shorter as the funds raised pile higher and higher. So choose your favourite and give, give, give!!

Whoever “wins” 1st place (raises the most money) gets their head shaved clean! Whoever wins 2nd place gets to keep a ¼” of hair. Whoever wins 3rd place gets to keep a 1/3” of hair. And so on…

To donate:

• Email ggilchrist@oldscollege.ca,
• Sign a pledge sheet for your ‘favourite’ volunteer,
• Or go to http://www.a-better-world.ca/ and click ‘donate online’ (Be sure to specify ‘Shave to Save’ and the contestant you are voting for.)
• Charitable receipts available for donations of $25 or more. (Include mailing address, please.)

Not a bad idea eh? I must confess that, as ideas fester in my brain, they invariably morph. I added the contest part, and, trust me, I will be motivated to save as much of my hair as I can—so please consider sponsoring anyone other than me.

Everyone will be working hard on this trip, and I know that we’ll discover even more opportunities to help when we get there than we even imagine now. Consider your donation a preemptive strike on future needs, a way to get involved without risking snakebite, and a show of support for our next generation that has taken the initiative to make a better world for all.

If you want an idea of the kind of work these donations will support, read:

It is Not All Laughing Children and Happy Endings
How Does Your Garden Grow?
You Can’t Get There From Here
Bolivia or Bust Tour 2009!
Bolivia or Bust
How I Spent My Summer Holidays