"Community raises over $16,000 for local girls fighting cancer"

The power of Six Nations' community spirit was evident once again last week when Six Nations Police Cuts for Cancer raised over $16,000 for two local girls fighting cancer.

The hair-raising event saw 26 community members shave their heads in support of local girls Makayla Sault and Teiehkwa Johnson, who have both been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Six Nations Polytechnic was packed with both men and women shaving their heads to show support to both girls, who had undergone chemotherapy earlier this year but stopped in favour of traditional treatments instead.

Six Nations Police Community Officer Cst. Janna Miler took chopped off all her locks on the condition community members raised $2,500 first.

Community members mingled about with both girls in attendance, taking photos of their newly shaved 'dos with the girls while waiting for the money to pour in for Cst. Miller.

As the charity event neared the end, Sgt. Dave Smoke and Police Chief Glenn Lickers started counting up the money left in a ballot box for Miller.

The officers slowly emptied out the box, counting twenties and fifties, and when it only reached $500 with the box almost empty, the audience was almost convinced Miller's head-shaving wouldn't happen.

But when Lickers reached into the box for one last envelope, everyone was in for a surprise.

It held a personal cheque from Steve Williams (president of Grand River Enterprises) for exactly $2,500.

The audience laughed and cheered as Miller made her way to the hairdresser's station.

"The money used to go to the (Canadian) Cancer Society," said Cst. Miller. "This time, when we put it forward, we thought, 'there's two little girls in the community (with cancer); let's do it' and the money will go to them."

The event raised $13,708 and Miller's challenge raised over $3,000, with a total of over $16,000 raised. The money will go to the families of both girls.