Mennonite
Central
Committee

Saskatoon hair stylist Gail Robinson shaves Mandy Neminishen’s head to help Neminishen raise funds and awareness of MCC projects supporting children orphaned by AIDS. The event is captured on video by youth pastor, Steven Thiessen.

Photo by Dorothy Bartel, MCC Saskatchewan

Heads shaved for AIDS fund-raiser

Sarah Adams
April 10, 2007

HEPBURN, Sask.—On a cold frosty morning in early February Mandy Neminishen headed to a hairdressing salon that had offered to shave her head at no cost.

While some friends told Neminishen she was crazy, others stepped up to support her. By the end of the day, four people had shaved their heads and over $6,000 had been raised for Mennonite Central Committee programs supporting children orphaned by AIDS.

Neminishen, newly married and in her second year of studies in the Bethany College here, said she had been inspired by another student, Alison Berg, who had shaved her head as a fundraiser for AIDS orphans in 2004.

She recalls that her reaction to this in 2004 had been, "Good for her. I could never do that."

Then 18 months ago, something changed. She felt as if images of children orphaned by AIDS were all around her. She felt a passion for the children and wanted to help them. When she read stories about orphans, she would think to herself, "What if that was my child?"

She also thought about Alison Berg's response to help children orphaned by AIDS. "And then I realized, I think I can let go of my hair. This is worth it." With the decision made to shave her head, she set out to use the event to raise as much money as she could.

She promoted the head shaving in her church in Saskatoon, Cornerstone Church, and in her hometown of Hepburn. She wrote letters to everyone she knew, giving examples of how even donations of $4 or $5 could make a difference in the life of a child. She was also invited to tell her story to local media outlets.

Her husband Shane and pastors of Cornerstone Church, Russell Reid and Steven Thiessen, said they would also shave their heads. When Thiessen, the youth pastor, jokingly said he would have to be paid a lot of money to shave his head, someone offered an extra $1,000.

In the weeks following the dramatic haircut, Neminishen has found that her bald head is a great way to talk to others about AIDS and its impact on children. "God opened a lot of doors to speak to people about what I did, and why I did it," she said.

In what has been a particularly cold and snowy winter in Saskatchewan, her lack of hair raises questions. At a recent soccer game, the questions about her short hair led into a great discussion with other players and coaches about the problems faced by AIDS orphans each day.

Recently, she was also able to tell her story at a large youth conference. In addition to the money she was able to raise for children in other parts of the world, Neminishen recognizes an equally important strength in her experience. "We want to encourage young people and not snuff out their passions. If other people get passions, we want them to know that the church will support them."

In the end, she learned one other thing from her experience. "I love short hair!"

Generations at Risk