Everything but the eyebrows, he said.
For my cancer-surviving wife, Brenda, he said.
For my buddy, Dave Mah, he said.
Chuck Nisbett shaved his hair, beard and moustache at the annual Prince George Relay for Life Saturday afternoon at Exhibition Park to celebrate his wife's cancer survival and honour the memory of his dear friend who died in 2016.
Nisbett said he hasn't seen his face without a moustache since he was 16 and without a beard since he was 17 years old.
Last year Nisbett walked for the entire 24-hour relay - the only one of its kind in Canada, which is a fundraising event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Due to an injury Nisbett could not do it again this year but he thought of another way to mark the occasion.
"Dave always had a head of thick, black hair and though in his 50s, he looked like most men at 40, Nisbett wrote in a letter to friends and family which he posted on the Relay for Life fundraising site. "In the last six months of his treatment the radiation and chemotherapy started to take a toll and Dave lost his glorious hair. So I thought I'd do something that doesn't require the physical struggle that the 24-hour walk takes but has some of the mental struggle that many cancer patients face. I'd lose my hair."
The Citizen caught up with Nisbett as he was about to get everything but his eyebrows shaved at the event Saturday afternoon.
"I feel great," Nisbett, a member of the Friends of David Mah relay team, said. "This is pretty awesome. I know Dave would get a real kick out of this. I know he would've thought me walking 24 hours last year was great but getting my head shaved was something that he really would think is pretty cool."
Nisbett's friend Joyce Clarke shaved his head and was almost done.
"Getting my beard and moustache shaved is scarier than the top part," Nisbett said. "What does it really look like? I honestly don't remember."
Moments later Nisbett got a glimpse of himself using the selfie mode on his phone's camera.
"I am blown away," he said, scrubbing at his face and the top of his head to get a feel for the newness of it. "And it's worth it."
Nisbett has raised about $800 so far and donations are still coming in.
Among the many walking participants in the Relay for Life was Ryan Saulters, whose daughter Audrey, 8, is a cancer survivor. He was walking with Jennifer Attree, fellow member of team #MTF which stands for Mighty Tiny Fighters. The team is raising money to celebrate Audrey and another mighty tiny fighter, Olivia Frost, 7, who will be taking her last cancer-fighting treatment one month from the start of the Relay for Life, July 9 at B.C. Children's hospital.
"We're here to support cancer research and to celebrate and acknowledge all the survivors and those who have donated their time and money," Saulters said.
Attree was literally passed the Relay for Life baton and carried it proudly during her part of the walk Saturday afternoon.
"It means something to have this baton passed to me by Amanda, the mom of Olivia, a cancer survivor, so I'm going to carry it," Attree said, with a smile. "In a way this occasion is overwhelming because it brings back memories of people you know who have battled cancer and are still with us and those who are only here in spirit. So we're here to honour everyone who has been touched by cancer."
Amanda Frost thought it was fantastic that people came out despite the rainy, cold day.
"No matter how bad this weather is, we just keep telling ourselves it's not as bad as what Olivia went through in her cancer treatments," said Frost. "This year Olivia is very proud to be a survivor. Last year's walk was mid-treatment and we were all a bit nervous but this year we're good."
The event began Saturday at 10 a.m. and the Luminary Ceremony was at 10 p.m. which honours those who have not survived their cancer journey. The ceremony concluded with fireworks. The Relay for Life concluded Sunday at 10 a.m.
There were 850 registered participants and 108 teams. There were 19 people doing the entire 24-hour walk this year, including MP Todd Doherty. So far $365,000 has been raised with more donations continuing to come in.
"The rain was here but it's not dampening spirits and it certainly doesn't take away from why we're doing this," Aimee Cassie, annual giving coordinator for the local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society.
The Relay for Life used to be held at Masich Place Stadium but this year was moved to the Exhibition Park.
"I feel like there's much more energy here," Cassie said during the event. "I think we feel a lot more united here. And I think that's awesome."
The pathways marked throughout Exhibition Park were going past all the teams tents.
"Everyone's a front-row seat here, which I think is really great for teams because they really get involved with everything and I think that is so important," Cassie said.
It took a committee of 21 volunteers to organize the event and more than 100 day-of volunteers on site to make sure everything ran smoothly.
"The volunteers are the heart and soul of this event," Cassie said. "It would not happen without them. They are amazing."
To donate to the Canadian Cancer Society visit cancer.ca and click on Prince George Relay for Life. To donate to someone specifically search their name or their team name on the site.
