Chief Custodian to Donate 25 Inches of Hair for Last Time

Chief Custodian to Donate 25 Inches of Hair for Last Time
Posted on 06/22/2017
Gary Van Niekerk

At 61 years old, Gary van Niekerk, Chief Custodian at St. Noel Chabanel Catholic School in Wasaga Beach, hardly has a grey hair in sight. For the past 13 years, Gary has been donating his hair to the Canadian Cancer Society, and at the end of the month, he will be cutting his hair one last time for Angel Hair for Kids.

 

Gary has had a long run of donating his locks to make wigs for those in need. He’s had his hair cut five times since 2004, for a donation total of 100 inches and $25,000 in funds raised. He even grew his hair for an extra year to have enough to make a long hair wig for an eight-year old girl.

 

On June 29th, students and staff will gather in the school gymnasium to watch Gary cut off the most he’s ever had to donate - 25 inches. This will be the sixth and final time he will be donating his hair to Angel Hair for Kids because as he says, “As the result of the number of my birth certificate, it is slowly turning grey.” He says that he has been very lucky and believes that “the big guy upstairs has always said, ‘Leave Gary’s hair alone as he is doing something good with it.’”

 

If you would like to support Gary, please call the school at (705) 429-1081 to fill out a pledge form.

 

Photo courtesy of simcoe.com