TORONTO, September 11, 2008 -- York University students, staff and faculty will have their heads shaved on Friday, Sept. 12, to raise $10,000 for this year’s Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Run, a goal that would bring the total raised by the York community for cancer research to over $110,000.
The first Great Canadian Head Shave at York pits a three-member team from York's Sport & Recreation against a team headed by Frank Cappadocia, director of Student Community & Leadership Development, in order to see which team can raise the most money. Together, their goal is $10,000. The head shave will take place in the East Bear Pit in Central Square, from noon to 2pm.
York Lions head football coach Mike McLean will lead the Sport & Recreation team of Jennifer Myers, director of Sport & Recreation, and Antonio Santilli, promotions and communications officer for Sport & Recreation. Myers, McLean and Santilli will shave their heads in memory of McLean's mother Delores, who passed away recently after battling cancer. Cappadocia will shave his head in memory of his sister, Sandy.
“My incredible sister Sandy Cappadocia – a proud York alumna – succumbed to her battle with brain cancer in December 2005,” said Cappadocia. “In her honour, and that of Terry Fox who has always been an inspiration to me, I will be a participant in this year's Terry Fox Great Canadian Head Shave event.”
Brian Poser, associate director of the Atkinson Centre for Mature & Part-time Students, and Bharat Saini, coordinator, Assistive Technology, have also signed up to have their heads shaved to raise money for cancer research.
York University has served as an official site for the annual Terry Fox Run for the last eight years. This year’s run will take place on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 10 am.
The Terry Fox Run is a non-competitive charity event in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research, which Fox ran with one prosthetic leg.
For more information visit the York is U website or contact Natasha Dhawan, York is U charity & entertainment director, at charityd@yorku.ca .
Media contact:
Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, York University: 416 736 2100 x22097 / mehughes@yorku.ca
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 24 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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