Earlier this year, football fan group Lions All the Way (LATW) decided to put their crowning glory on the line as part of the Hair for Hope charity fundraising drive.
Organised by the Children's Cancer Foundation, the annual event hopes to create awareness and raise funds for cancer research. Participants in the event had their heads shaved as a symbolic gesture of support for cancer patients, and to help garner donations from the public.
The group had initially targeted to raise $500, but they ended up surpassing that figure by a huge amount, as they raised an eventual total of $4,062.00 through various means such as online donations and pledge donation cards.
LATW committee member Ali Haikal was delighted that they exceeded the initial target, but stressed that the attention should be on the event and the efforts of the Foundation.
“We feel quite humbled to have exceeded expectations. It is important to note though that this project was never about us. This is about standing in solidarity with Children's Cancer Foundation and the children they support,” he pointed out.
“The happiness and joy is truly felt [by us] because we knew we were raising money and support for the children who need it most.
“We hope to be able to be part of such events in future again, with the goal of even greater involvement and support from our members, and more importantly, renewed support for people who need it most,” Ali explained.
Ali also indicated the group's intentions to not only make this event a permanent fixture on their calendar, but also to do their part for other charity drives.
“That said, we won't be limiting ourselves to Hair for Hope only. We believe that support for our country includes upholding the community and people that make it up. We will be looking to engage the community with more projects in the future, and hopefully through that, we are able to embody in the truest form the words of the late Uncle Choo: 'Untuk Bangsa dan Negara', or 'For the Nation'."
