Tristan Cheung to become first female Hong Kong police officer to shave her head to help child cancer sufferers
Tristan Cheung will have her head shaved to benefit a child cancer charity
For police officer Tristan Cheung Hoi-yee, making a personal statement at work may seem like a luxury, but today she will make an exception.
The 34-year-old will be the first woman officer ever to get her head shaved to raise money for research into cures for childhood cancers.
"By taking part in [this effort] myself, this will have a much greater impact on those around me," said Cheung, who is now back at the Police College for training to become an inspector after graduating as a police constable 12 years ago.
"Many might be aware that [children with cancer] need help," she said, suggesting she could set an example that action at the individual level is possible.
Cheung will join at least 24 other officers in having their heads shaved. It's the first ever dedicated charity event for the police, said Richard Kligler, a volunteer with St Baldrick's Foundation. Kligler's 18-year-old son almost died of cancer when he was five.
The US-based charity is dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancers, and is working with the Children's Cancer Foundation in Hong Kong. It notes that 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year.
The shave started in Hong Kong in 2006. Volunteers go bald in return for donations in solidarity with the children who lose their hair during cancer treatment. More than 150 people, including staff from Deutsche Bank and students from Hong Kong International School, will end up being shaved this year.
More than 85 per cent of the donated money will go to local universities and research institutes for medical research on childhood cancers.
