When Oscar Wood heard his grandmother had lung cancer he to grow his hair long, and then cut it so it could be made into a wig.
At the time he was just six years old. Two years later, his long locks had grown about five inches below his shoulders.
Before his new hair cut and transition to a shaved head, Wood admitted, “I am nervous.”
He raised more than $1,000 from friends and family and then had his head shaved during an assembly at Happy Valley elementary school on Feb. 14.
He donated to money to a school fundraiser to help a fellow student who is battling cancer.
Kenny Smithson, 6, was diagnosed with cancer and has been receiving treatment at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Since the beginning of the school year, staff and students at Happy Valley elementary have been working together to help raise money for the Smithson family, who live in Langford.
On Tuesday, Ken Smithson, Kenny’s dad, shaved his head in support of his son. Happy Valley principal Julia Sahota said money was still being tallied, but the school had raised more than $5,000.
Lukas Wood, 9, Oscar’s older brother also shaved his head at the assembly. When Susan Thomas, a hairdresser from Balance Hair Design, finished shaving the heads, she had the Wood brothers shave her head too.
“This is pretty awesome,” Ken Smithson said explaining the support from the school, community and his family have been a tremendous help. “We feel pretty lucky to be in this community.”
In the spirit of fundraising efforts, students were asked to do chores for their families and ask for a donation of either a toonie or a loonie. The money would then be given to the Smithson family.
“Some kids even donated their allowances,” Sahota said.
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com