QUINCY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While the polar vortex has kept most bundled up, Granite Telecommunications, LLC’s Chief Executive Officer Rob Hale decided it was the perfect time to take it all off – his hair, that is. To raise even more money for one of Granite’s primary charities, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Rob announced in February that the company would contribute for each employee who shaved his or her head and / or beard.
Thereafter, Rob’s “Saving by Shaving” concept had spread like wildfire, with hundreds of Granite employees agreeing to participate and both Rob and his mother, Granite co-founder and Dana-Farber trustee, Judy Hale, announcing they would each personally match the company’s contribution. Last Friday, Rob and Judy Hale agreed to double their contributions to $5,000 per shave if at least 400 people underwent the hair buzzers today.
Granite more than exceeded that goal, with over 410 Granite employees undergoing the buzzers to help defeat cancer. Some also donated their hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit that repurposes hair for wigs designed for children undergoing treatments for cancer and other diseases. Shavees included over 20 women willing to go bald to raise money for such a worthy cause.
Raising large amounts for Dana-Farber is not new for Granite. The company’s long ties to Dana-Farber include the outstanding care that Dana-Farber provided to Bob Hale, Rob’s father and Judy’s husband, who fought a courageous battle against cancer. Over the past five year, Granite has sponsored annual fundraising events for Dana-Farber, which have raised over $1 million. With today’s contribution, Granite more than doubled those contributions to Dana-Farber.
“What began as an informal challenge to a single employee has grown to include each and everyone one of us and made this a truly special day,” stated Rob Hale. “Where we can step up to stop cancer, Granite will do so. Because of the willingness of our teammate to make sacrifices, we are able to do all this.”
“This grassroots event symbolizes the unwavering support that everyone at Granite has for Dana-Farber,” said Suzanne Fountain, director of the Jimmy Fund. “We’re incredibly grateful to the Hale family and Granite for their continued generosity toward Dana-Farber’s adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research.”
For more info: www.granitenet.com
