Nurse and her family go bald at cancer charity event organised by cabbies

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The Hair for Hope event on Wednesday (June 7).
Comfort Delgro taxi driver Kanapathy Shunmugam (right) and his family members getting their heads shaved at the Hair for Hope event. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

SINGAPORE - After she turned 40 in December 2016, nurse Kavitha Shunmugam wanted to do something meaningful with her family to mark the occasion.

For the past seven years, she watched her father and son, now 13, give up their hair for beneficiaries of the Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF).

On Wednesday (June 7) morning, she finally summoned up the courage to join them and have her head shaved at this year's charity event held at Orchid Country Club.

Ms Shunmugam gave up her 60cm-long wavy locks and was shaved together with her family members, including her father, Mr Kanapathy Shunmugam, 65, a cabby of 26 years.

Her husband, mother, uncle, son and her seven-year-old cousin all had their heads shaved at the one-day event organised by ComfortDelGro Taxi and CabbyCare Charity Group to show support for young children battling cancer.

More than 250 ComfortDelGro cabbies, and their family and friends, went under the shaver, the largest turnout in the four years the event has been organised. CabbyCare Charity Group made a donation of $25,000 to the CCF, which was matched dollar for dollar by ComfortDelGro Taxi.

This is the largest amount the annual event has collected for the CCF in four years.

Mr Shunmugam said: "Children with cancer are not the only ones going through the ordeal, but their loved ones are as well. As such, we want to demonstrate that a family can overcome any obstacles when they stick together".

He is the chairman of CabbyCare Charity Group, which was formed in the year 2000 by eight CityCab cabbies who wanted to help the less fortunate.

Mr Ang Wei Neng, chief executive of ComfortDelGro Taxi, who shaved Mr Shunmugam, said that the cabby charity group efforts are "remarkable, especially with (all the cabbies) facing stiff competition", referring to the rise of private-hire alternatives like Grab and Uber.

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