Success of Varsity Buzz inspires Lakehead community
As the Lakehead Thunderwolves womens volleyball team opened their 2009-10 season last Friday against the Queen’s Gaels, the players turned spectators’ attention to a cause more important that athletics. Wearing warm-up t-shirts in support of the Varsity Buzz, a cancer research fundraiser held in early October, teammates of junior setter Jill Bodak, the lead organizer of the event, showed their collective support.
In the first event of its kind, twelve Lakehead Thunderwolves varsity athletes shaved or cut their hair in the fundraising event for the Northern Cancer Fund during an October 3rd Homecoming Tailgate Party at the Outpost on the Lakehead University campus. Over $7,500 dollars were raised through direct donations, or through the sale of Varsity Buzz t-shirts.
Jill Bodak gets her head shaved by former teammate Kalea Mullett
Shaving their heads for the event were Bodak, men’s basketball players Andrew Quirion and Jamie Searle, men’s hockey players Mitch Maunu and Bryan Wilson, and men’s wrestler Brandon Gardner. Cutting their hair were women’s volleyball players Morgan Lowe, Leslie Hanson, Michelle Cournoyer and Jorie Daymond with women’s wrestler Emma Brightwell and women’s basketball player Tasia McKenna also taking part. Even Lakehead University President Dr. Fred Gilbert got a “touch-up.”
The Thunder Bay community embraced the event whole-heartedly as several individuals and business donated their resources to the cause. Bodak pointed out the title sponsorship of the Chorkawy family, Quirion Financial Services, Wally’s Thunder Country Diving, Auntie Brenda, Sportop Marketing, and Lakehead University Athletics that made the event possible and Discover Yoga Studies and Balmoral Properties for their additional support.
Streak of Green Hair Salon provided the hair dressers for the event and collected the excess hair that will eventually be used to mop up oil spills. Highlights for Hope also got involved and raised $430 by giving participant their well recognized pink hair extensions.
"$7,500 dollars is a mind blowing amount of money to earn at a first time event,” says Bodak. “To see people give so freely of their time, of their skills and of their money made giving my hair away seem like the easy part. The Varsity Buzz was an event that showed the true colours of Lakehead athletes, of my family, of my friends and of this community and I am humbled, blessed and so very grateful to say that I was a part of it."
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Last Edited: October 30th, 2009
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