Mall@Carnival hosted Cansa on Saturday for the annual Shavathon event held nationwide.

Supporters could either shave their hair, with the trimmings donated to make wigs for cancer patients, or have their hair sprayed in bright chalk colours for a small donation.

Several passers-by stopped and stared at the spectacle, unsure of what was happening, while others commended the people who were shaving or colouring their hair.

One woman, quickly passing by, mentioned that the supporters are doing it for her, a cancer patient on her last rounds of chemotherapy.

“I had the red devil a year ago and lost all my hair, so the support means a lot to me,” she said, wishing to remain anonymous.

“Red devil” chemo is a nickname for doxorubicin (or epirubicin), a potent red-coloured chemotherapy drug used for breast, ovarian, bladder, and blood cancers.

Another woman does the Shavathon every year, shaving off her hair in support of the large number of her family members who have battled cancer. She also wished to remain anonymous.

Some children passing by wanted the bright colours in their hair without understanding the reason for the event, and parents said no, not wanting to pay the fee.

Still, support was sufficient, as the purple spray cans were all empty by 13:00.

The team of volunteers were also supported by several businesses in the mall, with some restaurants and stores providing snacks, drinks and lunch free of charge.

One of the volunteers, Patrick Ajama, thoroughly enjoyed colouring people’s hair, making sure every strand was covered evenly.

“I enjoy this, spreading cheer while raising funds for a good cause,” he said.

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