If ever there were a good time to take your fundraising efforts for Shavathon online, 2021 is it!

COVID-19 has changed the way we do things, and this year instead of one main Shavathon event pulling the crowds to malls across the country at the end of Feb, there will be smaller events held from 27 Feb to 27 March 2021 to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols are in place.

Perhaps you anxious about attending public events right now, but there is a way for you show your support from the comfort of your own home.

Create an online fundraising project for Shavathon and put out the challenge to all your contacts to make a donation. Safety protocols check! Social distancing check! Supporting a worthy cause check!

A Worthy Cause

At the heart of Shavathon is support for the cancer patient (Survivor) – the reason we shave, spray or donate hair is to celebrate individuals affected by cancer and show them they are not alone. It is also a time to reminisce about those we have lost to cancer and to pay our respects. And of course it is a time to raise funds to continue care and support programmes for Survivors and loved ones. CANSA is celebrating its 90th year of service to those affected by cancer.

The theme for CANSA’s 2021 Shavathon is ‘Colours Speak Louder than Words’ – we’re still caring for cancer patients and loved ones despite COVID-19 and we invite you to show you care too by helping to raise sufficient funds for us to continue to do so.

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. CANSA 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.

Ready, Set, Fundraise!

Setting up your GivenGain online fundraising page for Shavathon is easy. Simply follow the steps on this web page, and be sure to download the screenshot-for-screenshot guide provided to help you.

Anyone can do it – individuals, families, friends, schools, students or workplaces – to celebrate our 90th, invite 9 others to take up the fundraising challenge with you!

Finding your fundraising pitch or angle is probably the most challenging part of setting up a fundraiser. Find some inspiration from previous online fundraising champions:

• Donate x amount and I'll shave my hair
• Donate x amount and I'll keep my hair
• Donate x amount and I'll colour my hair accordingly (each colour has an amount allocated)
• Donate x amount and we'll shave together across the miles (literally in different countries via live link)
• My hair measures x cm - donate x amount per centimetre
• For every x amount raised we'll donate x centimetres of hair
• My workplace aims to raise x amount, can your workplace do better?
• Support our spray-a-thon

The possibilities are endless – find an angle that excites you and go for it!

The other challenge is promoting your online fundraising project. This is not the time to be shy. On every available online platform you have a voice, use your voice to promote your online project, always including a direct link to your project, so that it is easy for potential donors to hit the ‘donate’ button.

Keep it newsy, build up interest in your project by sharing how you are working towards your goal – ‘I’ve just had an awesome donation from x, we’re half way towards the goal, won’t you consider helping us get there… etc or share a short video clip stating your personal motivation for raising funds. Keep sharing your project regularly.

Shavathon Products

If you are planning on hosting your own Shavathon event order your products from our eShop

Competition

Online fundraisers are automatically entered into our competition. The top 5 online fundraising activists who raise the most through their fundraising projects by 30 June 2021, will receive fantastic prizes.