What may have started as a whim over beers ended up in a year-long fund raiser for breast cancer by two Chestermere High School graduates accumulating donations of over $3000. Riley VanGelderen & Mitch Enders, both 22, decided to go all out and grow beards for one year to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. A “Beard Shaving ” party was held on April 26 in Langdon for these “two bushmen” and now much to the joy of all of their proud family and friends, they are back to looking clean cut and handsome! Both young men were inspired to action because of their first hand experience of seeing their grandmothers afflicted with breast cancer, both who were able to beat the disease. Sonya VanGelderen, mother of Riley initially thought this was just a passing whim and that they would succumb to the blade, but the boys persevered gathering more donations through family, friends and their facebook network while their chins continued to disappear from public sight. Kim Enders fondly used such words now as hillbilly to describe her son Mitch and watched him turn into someone she didn’t recognize anymore. After the shave and the reappearance of their sons, what will remain with these mothers is a genuine pride in raising two caring men.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s official title for this fund raiser is Brave the Shave. Through the official website information for pledge sheets and setting up facebook links can be found. Participation can be individual or group, encompassing anything from shaving one’s hair, beard, or partial cuts and of course having fun along the way is always a good thing as shown by these two local characters! Congratulations and thanks for caring.
