After months of fundraising and growing out his “sick flow”, Penticton Vees forward Cassidy Bowes shaved his head last night on home ice at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Bowes began raising money for kids cancer research in mid August, setting a goal of $9,292 - matching his jersey number 92 - to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society. He also pledged to grow out his hair to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society to make wigs.
Related: Penticton Vees player fundraising for cancer research
“The thought of a young child being confined to a hospital bed when they should be out enjoying their childhood is something that really bothers me,” Bowes said in an earlier interview with Western News. “I just wanted to do something to show some support to anyone who has been affected by a child with cancer.”
The player set up a GoFundMe account and quickly began accepting donations, earning $2,040 in just 17 days. After an annoucement from the Canadian Cancer Society that stipulated it would no longer be accepting hair donations after Dec. 31, Bowes decided to cut his fundraiser short to make the deadline and the pressure was then on to reach his original goal.
The Western News attended the Vees’ home game on Dec. 14, collecting donations on Bowes’ behalf to help with his cause. Generous fans added another $600 to his ongoing goal that evening, and one lucky fan won a signed special edition Vees jersey courtesty of the Western News.
Related: Athlete of the week: Cassidy Bowes
Long-time season ticket holders Jon Race and Chris Woods stepped up to the plate to shave their heads in solidarity with Bowes. Race wagered that if the West Kelowna Warriors raised $500 for the cause, he’d participate in the shave too - a goal they happily met, adding a total of $500 to the fundraising efforts.
Following a 7-2 victory for the Vees, fans stayed behind to cheer Bowes on as he said goodbye to his golden locks on the ice. Canadian Cancer Society was on-hand during and after the game to continue collecting donations for Bowes.
In total, Bowes was able to raise $9,678.69 through a combination of GoFundMe, cash donations and an anonymous
When asked if he thought he’d be more aerodynamic now following the cut, Bowes said “for sure.”
“I think I’ll be buzzing out there or gliding,” laughed Bowes. “It feels pretty good.”
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