She shaved bald not once, but seven times

She shaved bald not once, but seven times

SINGAPORE - Most people would baulk at the idea of losing their hair in the name of charity. But the thought of going without hair did not trouble DHL Supply Chain employee Glenda Lim, 44.

She shaved bald not once, but seven times.

She did it most recently last Saturday, at a satellite Hair for Hope event for DHL employees. Over the years, she has raised more than $25,000 for charity.

When she first heard about Hair for Hope, an annual fund-raising event organised by the Children's Cancer Foundation, she was interested in participating but always put it off as she was busy.

She took the plunge in 2007 and, with two friends, shaved her head at a public event in VivoCity.

'No big deal'

On the first time she shaved off her then shoulder-length hair, she said: "There were so many people at the event and it made me realise that what I was doing was no big deal."

The third-generation Singaporean, who is single, said: "It's no big deal to sacrifice my vanity to make a difference to the lives of others. I thought it was great to send a message to kids with cancer that it was okay to lose their hair and to give them confidence and support by shaving off my hair."

While she enjoyed growing up in Singapore, Miss Lim said she can be a prouder Singaporean. She said: "Sometimes it is easy to complain or speak badly about our country. But I think we take a lot for granted, such as the cleanliness and safety."

Ms Lim said: "My friend asked me to do something to inspire her, so I sent her photos of myself without hair and making funny faces. Through this I was telling her that it could be fun to be bald."

She said: "Often we make excuses like we're too busy, but all we need to do is to take a step back and realise it doesn't take much to share what we have and to make a difference in someone's life." checked

If you feel you are uniquely Singaporean or you think you know someone who is, e-mail tnp@sph.com.sg and share your story with us. The best five stories this month will each win a pair of tickets to the National Day Parade. The next five best entries will each receive a pair of tickets to the National Day Parade Preview. The winning entries will also be featured on the NDP website.

What qualities do you have that make you Singaporean? Enthusiasm. I think that Singaporeans are always excited about new technologies and developments. How would you describe Singapore to a stranger? I would tell them about the diverse culture and how the different races coexist harmoniously. What are the little quirks you see in Singapore every day? We can be very wasteful.

For example, we throw away food when others don't have enough to eat. What food do you miss most when you're overseas? Chicken rice. When I was overseas, I tried making my own, but it just didn't taste right. What are your favourite Singlish phrases or words? I don't use much Singlish, but one that I use would be "okay lor".


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