PILOT BUTTE - After growing their hair out for two years to raise money for the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, Levi Moore and Randy O'Shaughnessy reflect on their journey and the path that led them to raise funds for a good cause.
The two men are a part of the Ranch Ehrlo Society, a non-profit group that supports families and youth through various programs.
The idea to raise money started when O'Shaughnessy hair started to grow long. He decided to let it grow out to raise money for a charity/organization.
Eventually, O'Shaughnessy ran into Moore, and the two came up with the idea to grow out their hair together and partner with the Hospitals of Regina Foundation. Moore’s wife works for the foundation, and the pair thought they could turn this idea into a big fundraiser to raise money to fight cancer.
The two had a personal connection to cancer, leading to them wanting to raise the money. O'Shaughnessy tragically lost his daughter to cancer at a young age. Throughout his life, O'Shaughnessy had noticed how happy kids were when they received pizza parties, or someone donated a doll. These experiences made him realize how nothing in life is too small.
Meanwhile, Moore’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, she was able to pull through. Since Moore was often in hospitals, he noticed the equipment was top-notch but felt the hospitals could always use a little more help.
While the two men were hoping to raise $1,000 each over the next two years of growing their hair, the amount of donations they received "was overwhelming," said O'Shaughnessy.
The two play sports often. Moore is into rugby, while O'Shaughnessy plays football. Moore and O'Shaughnessy decided to have a competition where rugby faces football to raise the money. What happened next was an act of kindness from communities.
Within hours, Moore hit his mark of $1,000. He kept bumping up the donation mark as more money poured in from various donors. Meanwhile, O'Shaughnessy reached his goal within a day too.
O'Shaughnessy described his emotions seeing the money raised within one day. "The number [over $1,000] to me, I get goosebumps when I think about it because that was so far above my expectations. And I thought pats on the back would have been well deserved for the $1,000." He added, "the amount of people that are willing to support [the cause, and] the generosity of people surprised me, especially in this community.
Through various donations and support, the amount of money grew and grew. Moore was still under $5,000 himself on the day he and O'Shaughnessy were getting their hair cut to complete the two-year mark. He wanted to reach $5,000, so he told people if he could hit $5,000, he would shave off his beard.
On that day, O'Shaughnessy noticed Moore had gotten to $5,000. Moore’s brother-in-law gave the money needed to hit the mark, and Moore got his beard shaved off.
Because of the last-minute donation, the two raised roughly $9,500 towards the Hospitals of Regina Foundation Breast Assessment Centre. The mark was over $7,000 of what they originally intended to raise.
When asked if the two men would try this idea again, they were not sure. However, the two men will continue giving back to the community, whether by donating food to the local food bank or giving away clothing.
As for the Ranch Ehrlo Society, the organization is currently undergoing a project titled "Dress a Champ." The project involves gathering used sports equipment and giving back to the community. The organization hosts an Outdoor Hockey League where volunteers manage an outdoor rink where kids can play hockey.
The organization is also partnering with Tim Hortons for the organization's Smile Cookie campaign to raise money for their sports venture program.
