Singapore, 6 June 2012 – 40 employees from Singaporean infocomms service provider StarHub went bald today in support of Hair for Hope 2012.
Hair for Hope is the Children’s Cancer Foundation’s call to the public to shave their heads. Through this symbolic gesture of going bald, shavees help to spread awareness of childhood cancer in Singapore; show children that it is okay to be bald and that they are not alone in their fight against cancer; and raise funds to help children with cancer and their families.
“StarHub believes in helping disadvantaged youth,” said Mr Adam Reutens-Tan, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, StarHub. “Children with cancer face many challenges in their lives: pain from the disease as well as the treatment, loss of self-esteem as they are shunned by society and even family members, and financial difficulties as their families struggle to afford the costly treatments. It is even more difficult for them because, at such a young age, they cannot understand why they are afflicted.
“That is why StarHub is supporting Hair for Hope,” said Mr Reutens-Tan, had his head shaved too, for the third time. “We want the children and their families to know that there is a community who supports them in spirit and in kind. For us who shaved today, this is a small gesture. It may take weeks or months, but we know our hair will grow back. For these children, their hair may never return. We just hope that, in addition to our sacrifice, well-wishers will support us with donations to Children’s Cancer Foundation.”
To support this cause and its employees’ bald statement, StarHub donated $40,000 from the StarHub Sparks Fund, or $1,000 for each of their 40 employees who shaved at the satellite event. This is in addition to the over $9,000 in online donations raised by well-wishers.
“I’m so inspired that friends around me are so caring and generous,” said shavee Mr Michael Quek, from Sales & Marketing, who shaved because he wanted to give back to the community love that he has received from his family and friends. “I treasure their support, for my action means nothing without it.”
One of the two female StarHub shavees, Ms Joice Ng from Customer Service, bravely shaved her head because she wanted to do something incredibly different.
“I wanted to make a statement in spreading awareness of cancer,” said Ms Ng, who remembered a secondary school classmate’s successful battle against cancer. “But I just hope to rally support for the children and lessen their pain, to let them know that they are not alone.”
Another female shavee, Ms Francine Chan from StarHub’s Enterprise Business Group, lost her grandfather to lung and throat cancer when she was just 19.
“This is a good cause to shave one’s head for,” said Ms Chan. “It is only hair, after all, which will quickly grow back for healthy people. To the precious children with cancer, I want to let you know that even bald can be beautiful, and don’t forget that your families and many others are all encouraging you in your fight.”
Those who are interested in supporting StarHub’s shaving efforts can make an online donation at http://www.hairforhope.org.sg/index.php?/shavee/sdetails/36.
