46 StarHub employees shave heads for children with cancer

46 StarHub employees shave heads for children with cancer

SINGAPORE - Forty-six employees from StarHub and their wholly-owned subsidiary Nucleus Connect, including seven women, shaved their heads yesterday in support of Hair for Hope 2013.

This is the second consecutive year in which StarHub is supporting the Children's Cancer Foundation campaign calling for members of the public to go bald to spread awareness of childhood cancer in Singapore.

The symbolic gesture also shows children that it is okay to be bald and that they are not alone in their fight against cancer, and raises funds to help children with cancer and their families.

"StarHub wants the children and their families to know that they are not alone, that there is a community who supports them in spirit and in kind," said Mr Reutens-Tan, who is shaving his head for the fourth time.

"For the StarHub staff who shaved today, this is a brave yet relatively small gesture. Our hair will grow back, either in weeks or months. But for these children, their hair may never return. We hope that well-wishers will support our sacrifice with donations to Children's Cancer Foundation," he added.

To support this cause and its employees' bald statement, StarHub will donate $46,000 from the StarHub Sparks Fund, or $1,000 for each of the 46 employees who shaved at the satellite event.

This is in addition to the $20,000 in online donations raised by well-wishers at the time of the event. Supporters can continue to make online donations until September 30, 2013.

One of the seven female StarHub shavees, Ms Michelle Yap from Frontline Training, shaved her head in memory of her late father who suffered from prostate cancer and to support her best friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

"My father lost his hair due to the chemotherapy and I have been shaving my head since to honour my memory of him," shared Ms Yap. "And I also want to let my best friend and all children with cancer know that they are not alone. Let's grow our hair back together!"

Another female shavee, Ms Wong Yen Yen from StarHub's SHINE division, hopes to comfort and inspire the children with another message: "It is not the number or amount of hair on our heads that matter; it is who we are inside that counts."

Ms Celine Ho from StarHub's Customer Service Centre shaved her head in support of her six year-old son Kye Feng, who has just been discharged after a successful bone marrow transplant and is now on the road to recovery from leukaemia.

"While many people may feel shaken upon learning that they or their loved ones are ill, having cancer is not the end of the world. I want the children and their families to know that there is still hope," said Ms Ho.

Those who are interested in supporting StarHub's shaving efforts can make an online donation at http://www.hairforhope.org.sg/index.php?/shavee/sdetails/17.

yamadak@sph.com.sg

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