Smiles and shiny heads crowded the Calgary Fire Department’s training facility Saturday as hundreds of people shaved their heads to raise money for cancer research — and set a world record while doing it.
The fundraiser saw 329 firefighters and their friends lose their locks to raise more than $120,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Cooler. Streamlined. Different,” said Fire Chief Steve Dongworth of his new aerodynamic ‘do.
Calgary Firefighter Jim Fisher get his head shaved by Spider-Mable – Mable Tooke – Saturday as part of the Calgary Fire Department’s Record-Breaking Head Shave, a fundraising event that is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for most heads shaved simultaneously. Mike Drew/Postmedia
The event was carefully organized and meticulously executed, as photographs and video footage of the mass shaving needed to be captured and sent to Guinness for verification of the new world record for most heads shaved simultaneously.
Participants had numbers on their chest and had individual photos taken before and after the shearing. Several video cameras high above recorded the action, and the sizable gang of spectators was asked to move behind a fire engine to stay out of the way.
The previous record was 267 people. Organizers said Guinness will take about two months to verify the record.
Dongworth spoke about the many firefighters who have died of cancer due to the risks of the job.
“We’re often working in very hazardous environments where carcinogens are common,” said the chief, whose hair-cutter was his regular barber, a two-time cancer survivor.
Next to the chief during the hair removal was Canadian Cancer Society board member Tom Shindruk, who has beaten cancer three times and lost his father to the disease.
“The support is just more than I could imagine,” he said.
“It’s overwhelming. I never dreamed it would be this successful. We exceeded all expectations.”
Other notable participants were Ward 2 councillor Joe Magliocca and Mabel “Spider-Mabel” Tooke, the young Edmonton girl who melted hearts last year when she got to spend a day as a superhero, thanks to the Children’s Wish Foundation.
She stayed on the non-business end of the hair clippers.
“I can’t say enough,” said Dongworth of the generosity of his firefighters. “I’m left speechless at times by the things these people will do to support the community.
“We get to do some pretty neat things, but I’m not aware that we hold any Guinness world records, so it’s pretty special.”
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