Losing her locks for a great cause!
June 05, 2020
Families, businesses and non-profits are all pinching their pennies a little tighter these days, as the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on paycheques and bank accounts.
Many organizations are re-working budgets and brainstorming new ways to secure funding. But, not many people come up with those ideas in their sleep.
“I came into work one Friday morning and said to my colleague ‘I had a dream last night and I’m thinking maybe I should shave my head, do you think people would support that?” explains Monica Morrison, Executive Director of the Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre. “Obviously, you can see that they did.”
Friday morning, dozens gathered outside the Golden Circle in downtown Red Deer to watch Morrison slowly lose her locks, strip by strip.
“It was getting long and I was getting sick of it,” admits Morrison, who agreed to go under the razor, only if she could raise $10,000 dollars to help keep the organization running during the pandemic. “A lot of the donations came from the members themselves, so that tells us that we are important and they just want to make sure we get through COVID-19 and the end of the year in a good place.”
Not only did Morrison and her staff reach their goal, they surpassed it, raising $11,395, as proudly displayed on the front of her barber’s cape.
“It’s overwhelming, the response from the community we’ve had around this,” says Morrison. “What it says to myself and the Board of Directors, is that as an organization we must be important to the community.”
The Golden Circle continued serving Red Deer’s seniors even when COVID-19 hit, with an army of volunteers doing wellness checks, delivering frozen meals and groceries, and even manning a telephone visiting line for people having a hard time with isolation. But, with the facility physically closed to members, there was no revenue from programming or dining room service.
“We also had to cancel a couple of fundraising events that were planned for 2020, so we needed to find some different ways to make it up,” says Morrison
The organization is still waiting on grant money that’s been applied for, so money raised through today’s event will help fill the gap. As for her new ‘do, Morrison admits it’s going to take some getting used to.
“It feels kind of weird, like all the little nerve endings are kind of tingling on my head,” she says with a smile. “Now I know what people who are going bald feel like. I better wear a hat so I don’t get a sunburn!”
If you can help the Golden Circle continue delivering outreach services and supporting Central Alberta seniors during the pandemic, the organization is gratefully accepting donations over the phone. Call the Golden Circle at 403-343-6074 or visit www.goldencircle.ca.