Young activist Atticus McIlraith's long locks sheared for charity
Haircut raised money and food donations for CancerCare Manitoba and Winnipeg Harvest
Atticus McIlraith, a young activist known for raising money for Winnipeg Harvest, said goodbye to his long hair today to help both the food bank and CancerCare Manitoba.
The 12-year-old was cheered on by fellow students at École J.B. Mitchell School as his long locks were lopped off during a 30-minute haircut Monday morning.
Just over $1,000 was raised for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation and more than 900 kilograms of food will be donated to Winnipeg Harvest courtesy of Peak of the Market and Safeway.
12-year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/atticusmcil">@AtticusMcil</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WinnipegSD">@WinnipegSD</a> student sheds locks for <a href="https://twitter.com/CancerCareMB">@CancerCareMB</a> & Harvest <a href="http://t.co/Wd53hJQVXi">pic.twitter.com/Wd53hJQVXi</a>
—@WinnipegHarvest"I wanted to cut my hair, but I wanted to do it for a good cause. I wanted to make a positive difference in someone's life," McIlraith said in a news release.
J.B. Mitchell principal Marie-France Giasson noted that McIlraith had been growing his hair for the past two years in order to donate the locks to a child who has cancer.
McIlraith first made headlines when he, at the age of 10, collected $1,000 worth of infant formula for Winnipeg Harvest in 2013.
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He's a member of the school's Global Kidizens, a group of community-minded students who tackle local and global issues.