Mayor of Kelowna and Westbank First Nation Chief team up for fundraiser

Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran and Westbank First Nation’s Chief Christopher Derickson are joining Okanagan College’s fundraiser for health-care students.

They’ve promised to shave their self-isolation heads, once they’ve both reached $10,000 in donations.

The funds will be donated to Okanagan College’s new state-of-the-art Health Sciences Centre at the Kelowna campus.

Derickson says the fundraiser is a special one for him and his family.

“I’ve seen first hand the difference front-line health-care workers make in people’s lives. The current pandemic has only highlighted the important role these professionals play in our communities,” said Derickson, who sits on the college’s board of governors, and served as board chair in 2018/2019.

“Okanagan College’s Health Sciences Centre will provide a world-class facility to train future health care workers. As we are currently witnessing, these everyday heroes do incredible jobs and they deserve to be trained in a facility that matches their level of commitment.”

Basran also says he’s a big supporter of Okanagan College as well.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“My wife Leanne is a rehabilitation assistant at Kelowna General Hospital. She is an amazing R.A. in part because she took the program at what was then Okanagan University College,” Basran said. 

“This program continues at Okanagan College and has a great reputation for preparing students to be job ready once they graduate.”

According to the college, Derickson and Basran will either shave their heads, with the help of their wives, or be among the first customers at a local hair salon, once they begin to safely reopen.

“We are so thankful to have these community leaders step up to support ‘Haircuts for Health Care’,” said Helen Jackman, Okanagan College Foundation’s executive director.

Jackman came up with the idea for the fundraiser in April.

To learn more or support these campaigns, visit WFN Chief Derickson’s page here and Kelowna Mayor Basran’s page here.

1:36 New urban garden planted in Kelowna to help feed families in need