Today FM is currently supporting the Irish Cancer Society with our annual fundraiser campaign: Shave or Dye or Oh My!
Behind all the funny selfies and bad hair dos are the stories of the people who have had personal experiences of the disease.
Some of those people have shared their stories with us over the past few weeks.
Rachel Lawless (24) from Limerick is a legend. For Shave or Dye or Oh My!, Rachel has decided to shave off all of her blond locks. Her sister had cancer as a child and Rachel wants to raise money and awareness. The shave is happening in the Stillhouse Bar in Limerick on 6th March. She told Dermot & Dave about it:
Kirk Doyle is holding his Shave or Dye or Oh My! event in Kenny’s pub in Lucan on 20th February. He will be shaving his head and, if he reaches his target of €1000, he will shave his precious beard too. Kirk decided to get involved in Shave or Dye or Oh My! because almost everyone he knows has been affected by cancer in some way. He has seen what it can do to families and feels that if something as simple as cutting off his hair will raise money to support someone with cancer, if only even for a day, then it's worth it. Kirk tells Dermot & Dave he can't remember what his chin looks like:
Shannen O’Brien (20) is a student in Trinity College and has decided to donate her head to Shave or Dye or Oh My! to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society. She took the plunge two weeks ago and has no regrets; the only downside is that her head is a little bit cold but she is getting to used to wearing a hat! She has raised over €1000 in the process. What a legend. She told the lads all about it:
Here are some other amazing stories of people who are getting involved in this year’s Shave or Dye or Oh My!:
John Price and Ciaran Farrell from ‘Green Valu’ in Tallaght have decided to get involved in Shave or Dye or Oh My! The cause is one close to John’s heart - he had prostate cancer himself and has been in the clear for over 3 years now. The lads are going to shave off their hair in their office in Tallaght on Friday 20th February and are very excited about it.
Lucan United’s superstar Conor Byrne (13) has signed up for Shave or Dye or Oh My! Conor, who is in first year in Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig, is going to take part in memory of a school friend of his who recently passed away after a battle with cancer. He has already raised €265! Once he reaches his target of €1,000, he will shave his head.
The seven Morgan brothers have organised a HUGE Shave or Dye or Oh My! event for 21st March in Hickey’s in Calverstown, Co. Kildare. After hearing an ad for Shave or Dye on Today FM, Shauna Morgan (wife of Martin) decided to round up as many of the clan as possible and plan a big Shave or Dye night of their own to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society. Not content with the Kildare event, the Morgans wanted to take this further and the Aussie contingent of the family are holding an event in Australia too! Some are shaving, some are dyeing but there’s one thing for certain, it’ll be a great night.
Aoife Slattery (22) has decided to put her head in your hands! She has set an online fundraising goal of €500 and the person who gets her over the €500 mark gets to decide what she does. She is willing to shave or dye her hair. Her JustGiving page is www.justgiving.com/aoifeslattery
Lyndsey Connolly and Becky Fogarty joined Anton Savage in studio to talk about their own experiences of cancer: Lyndsey Connolly (27) from Blessington was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in November 2013. She underwent 6 months of chemo and decided to shave her head when she began to lose her hair. She is cancer-free now and is seven months in remission. Becky Fogarty (22) from Fethard, Tipperary lost her dad Teddy to melanoma in July. He was only 42. Becky shared his story.
Sara Dooley will be shaving her head in solidarity for her older sister, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in November. She chatted to Anton about her decision and about the event, which is happening in McGeoughs Bar in Dundalk on 21st February at 9pm. You can donate to Sara’s Fundraising Page here.
There are many ways in which you can get involved in the campaign:
