To everyone who supported Caleigh Belair and Jenna Wiebe’s fundraiser this July, CMHA Kenora would like to say a huge thank you. Caleigh and Jenna are co-workers at MNP who volunteered to shave their heads if they were able to raise a total of $2500 for mental health, an effort that resulted in an unexpected but greatly appreciated $4400 going towards funding mental health services in Kenora and its surrounding area, and two thirds of MNP’s administration team going bald.

We are incredibly grateful to Caleigh and Jenna, to MNP, who generously donated $500 towards the campaign, and to all others who contributed, for the care you’ve shown towards those who benefit from mental health services. Thanks to you, people will receive the support they need to address their mental health struggles and work towards being fully engaged in their lives and communities in the ways they find meaningful.

Caleigh Belair originally approached us with a plan to shave her hair off if, over the course of a month, she could raise a total of $500 amongst her friends and co-workers for CMHA Kenora. Honoured that Caleigh selected mental health as the cause she wanted to lose her hair for, we quickly set Caleigh up with a donation page and watched as she managed to breeze past her fundraising goal in a matter of hours. 

To keep the stakes of the fundraiser high throughout the entire month, Caleigh enlisted the help of her fellow co-worker, Jenna Wiebe, who would also shave her head at the end of the month if donations were to reach a total of $2500. Caleigh and Jenna did a phenomenal job bringing people in to support the cause, managing to raise $4400 by the time their campaign closed. Many of the donations were from staff at MNP, with a $500 donation from the business itself, and the much-anticipated head shaving taking place at MNP’s Kenora location.

Jenna Camire, Fundraising and Prevention Coordinator at CMHA Kenora, was in attendance to congratulate Caleigh and Jenna on the success of their campaign and witness the head shaving. “The atmosphere in the office as it happened was full of laughter and encouragement,” says Jenna, “You could tell that the folks at MNP are supportive of each other, and it was really a great environment to promote the idea that it’s okay to be vulnerable, to share your experiences with other people, and to lean on them for support, whether you are seeing what you look like bald for the first time, or talking about your own mental health.”

The overwhelming support for Caleigh and Jenna’s fundraiser has been incredible to see, as it will not only go a long way in helping people directly through CMHA Kenora’s programs, but it also highlights the progression of our society’s understanding of mental health and the need for mental health care. It shows people living with mental illness that they are not alone and works to eliminate the stigma that many people fear when accessing services. The awareness that Caleigh, Jenna, and all their donors have brought to CMHA Kenora and mental health in general will have a lasting impact on our community; for that, we say thank you.

If you would like to donate to CMHA Kenora, head to www.cmhak.on.ca/index.php/donate or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 807-468-1838.