One year ago a five-year-old girl looked in shock at a picture of her auntie on Facebook.
This year she’s the one who will be providing the shock.
Halle Peebles will be cutting off 12 inches of her blonde hair for cancer, one year after her aunt, Sydney Dilling, did the same.
The young Genelle resident became interested in the cause after her mother, Kim, explained the impact cancer had on some people’s lives.
When two of Halle’s family members grew increasingly sick with cancer, Halle began to understand the real-life ramifications of the disease. Two of Halle’s great grandmothers suffered from cancer, striking near to home for the small girl with the beautiful golden locks.
So she decided to cut off her hair for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Saturday at Haley Park. She’s planning to have her hair cut around 3 p.m.
“She’s been talking about it for a year,” said Kim. “She hasn’t cut it much this year, just a couple of trims.”
To Halle, cutting her hair is positive for a couple of reasons: Halle is close to her auntie, Tasia Aitken, whose mother suffers from cancer; and decided to cut her hair to support her family’s ongoing battle.
“Because my (grandma) has no hair,” said Halle about the reason for cutting her hair. When asked, she nodded excitedly about the idea of her new haircut.
The event brings together more than 200,000 people nation wide every year, with 250 people in Greater Trail alone, according to numbers from last year.
Last year, the Greater Trail event added to the $5.2 million raised by British Columbia and the Yukon. This year’s event will take place between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday. So far, 23 relay teams have registered for the event.
Donations to Halle’s efforts can be left at the Colander Restaurant in Trail.
Donations for the Relay for Life or participants who wish to register as a team can fill out the registration online at relaybc.ca.