Brightly dyed hair, haircuts, head shaves and, maybe even a vice-principal kissing a pig are in the works for Valley View Elementary School’s Tour de Rock fundraiser.
The event is set for 11:20 a.m. Wednesday at the school and the fundraising goal is $5,000.
District Parent Advisory Council co-representative for Valley View Ineke Burritt will shave off her golden locks if the school community reaches its fundraising goal.
“I have been touched by cancer many times through my sister and a dear friend,” Burritt says in a news release. “I always said I would shave my hair off along with my sister if she required chemotherapy, and we have been lucky so far, but it feels good to show that I mean it.
“As well, my dear friend and Valley View parent, Marnie Jewitt, lost her battle to cancer this summer. I miss her daily, and doing this is personal for me. I want to honour Marnie.”
Burritt notes Jewitt fought cancer for five years, and was “present and prevalent in the school.”
Valley View principal Erica Black says parents, students and staff have jumped on board with fundraising efforts.
The school created a thermometer to monitor donations, and some students will start dying their hair when $50 is reached. More significant haircuts and aggressive hair dying comes next. At the $1,000 mark male teachers will dress as ladies for the day.
At $2,000, the other DPAC co-representative at the school will transform her short brunette hair into a bright purple do, and the vice-principal will kiss a pig. At $3,000, Black’s hair, which has never been dyed before, will become a bright green. And finally, if $5,000 is reached, Burritt will shave her hair off and the entire school will celebrate with a movie afternoon.
Black notes the school is following a ‘heroes’ theme for Tour de Rock and the Terry Fox run this year, and generally encouraging the school community to make the world a better place.
“We can all be heroes through simple actions such as being a friend, by being present to someone in need, and by working together to accomplish a common goal that will benefit a cause,” she says in the release. “We don’t need capes and tights to be heroes, but we can certainly have fun while we do this important work.”
Last year the school raised nearly $1,400 for Tour de Rock, but Burritt notes a few years ago the school raised over $5,000.
“I’ve taken it on a little bit as a personal mission or goal to make this year big, in Marnie’s honour,” she says, noting support at the school is huge this year. “I think it’s a very realistic and achievable goal to raise $5,000.”
The community is invited to come out to the school Wednesday morning for the event. The Head Shed will donate time to cut, shave and dye hair.
For more information or to make a donation, drop by the school office at 2300 Valley View Dr. in Courtenay or call 250-897-0343.
writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com
