Keep Fighting Cancer at CANSA Shavathon

Can you believe that CANSA is celebrating 90 years of providing care and support to cancer patients and loved ones this year.

We’re super excited for Shavathon too, as this is the first year that Shavathon events will take place from 27 February to 27 March 2021 – a whole month of “Colours Speaking Louder than Words” and showing that we are behind those affected by cancer by shaving, spraying or donating hair. COVID-19 might have centre stage, but cancer is still a reality.

Adults pay R50 and children u / 12 R25 to spray or shave their hair or donate a ponytail to make a wig for a cancer patient. Digital selfie boards will also be available to help create awareness and you are encouraged to share your pics on social media using the hashtags #CANSAShavathon and #CANSA90.

Of course we have your safety in mind. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place and this is why we are spreading events over the course of a month and hosting smaller more controlled events. But this won’t dampen the Shavathon spirit – it will still be a time to smile, or to cry as we celebrate those fighting cancer or who have lost the battle.

Your support is needed now more than ever. CANSA needs your help to fund our care and support programmes for cancer patients and loved ones and we truly hope to see you at our Shavathon events or that you will support us by making a donation or becoming an online fundraising champion. If you really can’t make it, you can always pay a ‘bail out fee’.

We’re still caring for cancer patients and loved ones despite COVID-19 and we invite you to show you care too by supporting Shavathon! During lockdown, our Homes and stoma services stayed open as essential services with protective measures while the public hospitals were open and receiving patients. CANSA Care Homes catered for patients receiving cancer treatment with accommodation, transport and meals. CANSA’s TLC Lodges for children and families affected by cancer also remained operating. We offered support via our WhatsApp line that helps with cancer education, queries and support in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho and siSwati (071 867 3580) and support via phone and online platforms.

We also offered confidential, professional, cancer-related telephonic counselling to cancer patients, caregivers and their families and parents or guardians of children living with cancer. Counselling is available in seven languages (English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, Sesotho and Setswana) and is free of charge.

CANSA Shavathon events will be hosted by event hosts in innovative and creative ways this year – with a ‘Drive-through’, ‘Shavathon-in-a-box’ and virtual Shavathon options to ensure everyone can still be a part of this inspiring fundraiser campaign. Hosts are encouraged to challenge 9 or 19 potential hosts to organise a Shavathon event in honour of CANSA’s 90th Anniversary.

To host an event, please register and order Shavathon products through the Shavathon eShop. Anyone can host an event, it is not limited to workplaces, organisations or schools. The deadline for registration and orders is 31 March 2021.

Online fundraising activists can sign up on the Shavathon website and can challenge their family, friends, and colleagues to support their fundraising efforts. How about raising R900 or R9 000! There are wonderful prizes to be won. We also invite corporates to take up the online fundraising challenge with many employees still working virtually.

Please SHARE this email with everyone you know, or at least 90 people – we’d like to go BIG for CANSA’s 90th!