Clips for Cancer raises $170,000 for Barbara's Friends

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Sept. 30, 2020 - PRLog -- Throughout September, child advocates and supporters of Barbara's Friends "braved the shave," allowing local childhood cancer survivors to shave their heads to raise awareness and support for Barbara's Friends - the cancer fund for Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. In all, $170,000 was raised during the event that this year went virtual.

In addition to raising money for the 25^th year of Barbara's Friends, Clips for Cancer raises awareness about the challenges of childhood cancer, including going bald, a frequent side-effect of cancer treatments. Proceeds provide equipment, staffing and services to support lifesaving cancer care for children in our region at Golisano Children's Hospital, one of nine centers in the state to offer a complete pediatric hematology/oncology program.

The final event of the month-long series featured cancer survivor Mackenzie Hummer shaving the head of Armando Llechu, chief officer, hospital operations and women's and children's services at Lee Health. Clips for Cancer was created in 2018 after Llechu met Hummer and was inspired by her bravery and positive spirit. Twelve years ago, on January 29, 2008, then 8-year-old Mackenzie was diagnosed with an aggressive, cancerous brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Thirty surgeries, 30 radiation treatments, 10 months of chemotherapy and numerous hospital stays would follow.

"What most people don't realize is that sometimes, not often, the hair doesn't grow back and for Mackenzie that's the case," said Mackenzie's mom, Carrie Hummer. "For Mackenzie, she hasn't had hair since she was 8 years old. The type of radiation and amount of radiation she had and some of the late effects of treatment killed most of her hair follicles. She barely remembers what it is like to have hair. So, for her, this is very empowering and it means a lot that these adults volunteered to lose their hair, for her and kids like her, when they didn't have too."

Contributors who helped in the success of Clips for Cancer include Great Clips, the salon sponsor who provided space for live shaving events every Friday and encouraged customer donations. Eleven salons took part this year with franchisees Jack Leaf, Jeffery Scholl and Jennifer Small sharing their salons for the event.

Grants that contributed to the success of Clips for Cancer were $25,000 from The John E. & Aliese Price Foundation, Inc.; $42,000 from Florida Radiology Consultants and Dr. Tom Presbrey; $20,000 from Nancy and Randy Howell (daughter and son-in-law of Barbara's Friends founders Frank and Betty Haskell); $10,000 from Joe Catti and FineMark National Bank & Trust, and $5,000 from The Wasie Foundation.

Learn more about Barbara's Friends and how you can help Southwest Florida children battling cancer at BarbarasFriends.org (http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=Nmhl...).