The Martlet

Twelve babes went bare in support of the B.C. Cancer Foudation for a second time on March 7, this time taking off their hair — the first time, it was their clothes.

The head shaving was the pièce de résistance of the Babes Go Bare for Cancer fundraising campaign that raised $18,500, and included a “nude, but not lewd” calendar featuring the same women who are now sporting a new, smooth look.

Not only did the event at Mayfair Mall have hundreds of onlookers, but well over a dozen spontaneously sacrificed their locks along with the babes, including friends, supporters, the calendar photographer and even a Mayfair security guard.

“This was the moment we’ve been building towards,” said Trish Caddy, campaign organizer and Miss February. “To have people spontaneously stopping their shopping to watch, and randomly going up to shave their heads, was so cool. That’s what we were hoping for … to get the crowd going on the whole idea that it’s about inner beauty; it’s about doing something good for your community.”

In addition to the giant cheque presented to the B.C. Cancer Foundation, the babes donated their hair to Locks of Love, an organization that creates hairpieces for children suffering from medical conditions.

The fundraising was spearheaded by creating a calendar that unabashedly showed women who were not models, were not airbrushed and who dedicated themselves to the fundraising cause. By pairing the head shave with the calendar, Babes Go Bare for Cancer transcended the vanity of looks, said Caddy.

“[The head shave] helped me select girls who were into the message,” she said. “If all 12 ladies are willing to shave their heads for cancer on top of being a part of the calendar, I think it really sends a message that it’s about what we’re doing — raising over $18,000 for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.”

The calendar girls hoped to convey a message about beauty to young women.

“We’re all beautiful people, and we need to show it,” said Larissa Korns, Miss March. “It’s not just how we look, it’s how we are.”

To buy a calendar or for more information on the campaign, visit babesgobareforcancer.ca.