Baldness rules at Great Canadian Head Shave event

Above: Frank Cappadocia, director of student community & leadership development, checks out his new hairstyle in a borrowed compact mirror

The razors were buzzing and so was the crowd at the Great Canadian Head Shave at York Friday, held as an additional fundraiser to Saturday’s Terry Fox Run at York’s Keele campus.

Frank Cappadocia, director of student community & leadership development at York, sporting the waviest head of hair of them all, was first in the chair and had the crowd of about 140 people hooting and cheering as the hairstylist from Klik’s Beauty Centre in York Lanes sheared his pate bald. Cappadocia’s locks netted the charity a total of $3,600, making him far and away the top fundraiser of the day, which raised a total of approximately $8,000.

Mike McLeanRight: A camera operator from Global TV gets up close and personal with Mike McLean, Lions head football coach

Next up was York Lions head football coach Mike McLean, who issued the challenge to put up or shave, along with Sport York colleagues Jennifer Myers, director of sport & recreation, Beau Mirau, assistant football coach, Antonio Santilli, Sport & Recreation promotions and communications officer, Mike Broderick, intramural and club sports officer, and Nick Ebel, Student Intramural Recreation Council president.

After leaving his locks on the cutting-room floor, Cappadocia baldly beamed at his challengers and asked, “How much did you raise?” McLean and Co. just smiled as they posed for the assembled media, which included Global TV Sports (To see the video clip, visit the York is U Web site).

Team SC&LD consisted of Cappadocia, Brian Poser, associate director of the Atkinson Centre for Mature & Part-time Students, Bharat Saini, assistive technology specialist with York’s Office for Persons with Disabilities, Steven Broadley, president of the McLaughlin College Students’ Council, and Rob Coutts, chair and community outreach director of York is U.

Left: Rob Tiffin, vice-president students, looks on with an enthusiastic crowd of head-shaving fans

Although the fur flew in good fun, both McLean and Cappadocia were taking part in the event to remember family members who had died from cancer. McLean’s mother Delores passed away just as the Lions’ season began, while Cappadocia’s sister, York alumna Sandy Cappadocia (BA ’01) died in 2005.

On hand to view the proceedings was Rob Tiffin, York vice-president students, and staff members from the Bennett Centre for Student Services.

 Mike McLean, Jennifer Myers, Beau Mirau
Above: From left, Mike McLean, Jennifer Myers and Beau Mirau show off their new clean look for the camera

The CTV coverage of York’s Terry Fox Run is available on the York is U Web site.