A close shave fights cancer

Ben Newman offered a challenge to Safeway employees — raise a cool grand to help in the fight against breast cancer in one day and he’d shave his head.

Employees at the Oak Harbor Safeway store easily accomplished that goal Oct. 17 when they raised more than $1,200 by gathering donations from shoppers and from motorists filling their tanks.

“I wanted to challenge them,” Newman, who has been assistant manager for a month-and-a-half, said. In all, store staff raised $1,230 that Sunday and they are well on their way to meet their $14,000 goal. As of Oct. 21, the store had raised more than $12,000.

Store cashier Tim Pool grabbed the clippers at noon Thursday and shaved Newman’s head clean. The shaving took place in front of the store as a crowd of shoppers and staff enjoyed the spectacle.

Once the store reaches its $14,000 goal, Newman will have another treat for employees and customers — he’ll wear in a pink dress. He noted that he hasn’t yet seen the dress staff picked out for him.

Safeway conducts four major fundraisers throughout the year to fund Easter Seals as well as efforts to fight breast cancer, prostate cancer and muscular dystrophy. Store employees hope to raise at least $10,000 for each cause.

The money raised at the Oak Harbor Safeway, along with the money raised at stores from Everett to Lynden, will be donated to the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center located in Mount Vernon. In the past, Newman said the fundraiser had purchased a mammography machine for the cancer center.

Contact Whidbey News Times Staff reporter Nathan Whalen at nwhalen@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5058.

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