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By Sheldon Spackman

Care And Compassion

Local twins to chop hair for Kids Cancer Care

Dec 18, 2019 | 3:16 PM

Twin boys from Red Deer are showing their holiday spirit this year by cutting their long hair for Kids Cancer Care next month.

Ryan and Alex St Peter, Grade 6 students at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School, have been growing their hair for three years now.

However, mom Sarah St Peter says it was a year ago that her 11-year-old sons decided to do something special with their locks.

“A year ago they were thinking about cutting their hair, and then their grandmother ended up with breast cancer,” she recalls. “Then about two weeks later, they had met a little girl who had gone through cancer treatment and had no hair. So then I got online to see what the options were and found Kids Cancer Care and Angel Hair For Kids and told the boys about it.”

St Peter says Ryan and Alex then decided to grow their hair longer if they were going to do that.

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“So they have been growing it out for an additional year to get even more hair,” she exclaims. “It gave them a purpose to continue growing it.”

St Peter says the boy’s plan now though is to chop it all off on Jan. 4.

“The hair is going to Angel Hair For Kids,” she explains. “They have enough. It’s probably at least two feet long. They have enough to make one long-haired wig for somebody.”

St Peter says she’s very proud of the efforts of both Ryan and Alex, adding her two other sons, 13-year-old William and nine-year-old Max, are shaving their heads as well in support of their two siblings.

“It takes a lot, especially boys and they’re in middle school and they have long hair,” she exclaims. “They get called girls a lot, but they don’t care, because they’re doing it for a reason. They’re always looking out for others and helping, they help out a lot in their community already.”

For those wishing to help Ryan and Alex in their fundraising initiative for Kids Cancer Care, St Peter says their fundraising goal is $2000, a number now surpassed thanks to the generosity of the community.

“You always have the ability to help,” she points-out. “There’s always something within you to give, and if you can, it’s very much appreciated.”