To see an idea go from conception to realization is a beautiful thing. It’s extra special when realization blows past your wildest dreams.
A year ago, the world was in crisis. It was in every corner. Health systems, businesses — big and small. Mental health was especially hard hit as increasing anxiety and isolation created a terrible spiral for so many.
Industries all over were hit as COVID-19 spread and we learned to deal. Unifor held a rally in St. John’s to support the NL oil and gas sector. I was invited to speak on behalf of YACC and community organizations.
Climate change, “big oil,” and renewable energy are incredibly important topics for society. For me this was an opportunity to say thank you to so many people who had supported our mission.
I now know, that day my buddy Mark Collett got an idea.
He would get the most powerful haircut of his life and rally an industry’s philanthropic spirit, and in the process, make the single biggest contribution to YACC in our 21 year history.
On September 22, 2021 at the annual Noia conference, Mark’s year-long effort landed a $266,416 Shave for the Brave — a new fundraising record for a Shave for the Brave event and a single Shaver!
What do you do when realization bests your dream?
If you’re YACC, you dig deeper than ever into your vision board. $266,416 will do two transformational things for young adults that will have immediate and long, long-term impact:
1. Enhance and grow the young adult cancer community
We are building a new web presence for every young adult dealing with cancer in Canada, with a single sign-on experience, custom dashboard of content, easy click registration for all YACC programs and a new web-based community to connect with their peers – Shave energy is making this happen.
2. Deepen our understanding of the young adult cancer experience
In 2022, we will launch YACC’s second major research initiative, recruiting a cohort of 2,000 young adult survivors (and 2,000 of their friends as a control group) who we will follow over time to further our knowledge, nationally, and internationally of the challenges faced by this population and the solutions that work to get them back living and loving life. Shave energy is making this happen.
Mark, Karen, and everyone at Crosbie, Charlene and everyone at Noia, on behalf of the 5,000 YACCers in our community, and the 200,000 survivors we have yet to serve, thank you! We have their back because you have ours.
Always…
Live life. Love life.
Geoff
