Lanie Smith shaved her head June 2 for Heroes for Hope, at the Relay for Life event, at Saugeen District Secondary School.

Hub Staff

Lanie and her mother Jen Smith learned to never bet against family members Bea, age 9 and Maggie, age 14, as the result was two saved heads on June 2, at the Heroes for Hope, shave-off during Relay for Life at Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS).

Lanie and Jen told the two girls that if they raised over $1,000 for Heroes for Hope, a Canadian Cancer Society event, where Maggie and Bea had planned to donate their long hair for wigs, that Jen and Lanie would buzz theirs off.
Nine year old Beatrix, with help from her sister Maggie, raised $2,165 for cancer research. Beatrix also chopped off eight inches of her hair to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society to be used in wigs.

The two girls ended up raising $2,165. And during the June 2 Relay for Life event, the Smith family with Relay participants looking on, cut and shaved their hair for a cause.

“It feels great,” said Jen Smith as she ran a hand through her freshly shaved head. Smith has donated her hair and even shaved her head before, because she has seen, first hand, how a wig with real human hair can make someone feel.

“My mom tried on synthetic wigs and they were terrible, and then she tried on a human hair wig and it was so nice and made her feel so herself. But they can be expensive and luckily she could afford one,” said Smith, adding that she was thinking of all the people who can’t afford one.

With her daughters growing up watching their mother donate and shave her head for those afflicted with cancer, they knew it was something they'd like to do as well. “When I told them that I was growing my hair to donate, they all said that they wanted to do it with me,” said Smith.

Ana Anderson of Southampton’s Beauty by the Beach cut eight inches from Bea and Maggie’s heads and cut Jen’s hair before her and Lanie were shaved.

The Smith family, left to right, Beatrix, Maggie, Lanie and Jen, were all excited and a tad nervous to cut their locks, during the Relay for Life, Shave-off/Pony tail cut for Heroes for Hope, June 2.

Maggie Smith lost eight inches of hair to be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society, June 2.

The Smiths were all smiles, proudly showing-off their new ‘dos, June 2, at Relay for Life.