An Isle of Wight woman has raised almost £5,000 for Wessex Cancer Trust – a charity close to her heart after she began using their free services following a recent colorectal cancer diagnosis.
Knowing her treatment would involve chemotherapy, and would likely mean the loss of her hair, Carly Sanders made the decision to shave her head before this happened.
Carly chose to use this as an opportunity to organise a fundraiser for the charity and set up a JustGiving page where people could donate to support her brave shave.
Having grown her hair for 29 years to approximately 32 inches long, there was a lot of support for Carly’s efforts.
Speaking about her decision, Carly has said:
“I can’t believe the generosity of you all. I really am feeling the love and appreciate every one of you. I’d really love to hit the £2000 mark now as we are doing so well.”
The night itself was organised at The Castle Inn in Newport with the help of owner Simon Cant, and included the hiring of Isle of Wight DJ, Dave Wiltshire. The night exceeded expectations, with support being so great that while friends and family filled the pub, further crowds cheered from the pavement outside. Many members of the biker community came to support Carly, who is an avid biker herself.
Last week, Carly visited Wessex Cancer Trust to total up the takings. With the help of Newport venues, The Castle Inn and Slug and Lettuce, Carly raised a staggering £4,821.53.
Laura Haytack, Regional Fundraising Manager, said,
“We’re blown away by Carly’s kindness and the generosity of those involved in her head shave. This money is going to make a huge difference to allow Wessex Cancer Trust to continue to provide free and local support to those that need our services.”
