Skip to main content

Dr. Vera Etches dyes hair in OPH colours, making good on CHEO donation pledge

Ottawa Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches made good on a pledge to dye her hair in Ottawa Public Health colours as part of a fundraiser for CHEO. (Photo: Dr. Vera Etches / Twitter) Ottawa Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches made good on a pledge to dye her hair in Ottawa Public Health colours as part of a fundraiser for CHEO. (Photo: Dr. Vera Etches / Twitter)
Share
OTTAWA -

Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health, has made good on her promise to dye her hair in Ottawa Public Health colours as part of a campaign to raise money for CHEO.

"I’m making good on my promise to dye my hair & donate in support of CHEO mental health services," Etches said on Twitter Saturday night.

Chris Hofley, the communications manager for the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, had started a fundraiser in the spring, promising to shave his head if $1,000 was raised for youth mental health services at CHEO. Ottawa councillor Tim Tierney and his wife Jenny jumped on board and set goals of $2,000 and $5,000 respectively to do the same. Other public figures and media personalities, including MOVE 100's Stuntman Stu, Ottawa Centre MP and Liberal cabinet minister Catherine McKenna, Newstalk 580 CFRA's Maddy Eisenberg, CTV Ottawa's Matt Skube, and many others got involved as well, helping to push the campaign into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Etches said she would happily dye her hair when salons reopened--suggesting Ottawa Public Health colours of green, blue, and white--if $80,000 was raised.

"It’s been a tough year and a half, but we're making progress with COVID," she said in her tweet, showing off her new look. "We can stay the course Ottawa and get & keep children and youth back in school for their mental health, too."

Hofley reacted Saturday night, thanking Etches for supporting his "little fundraiser."

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

DEVELOPING

DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk

The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.

Stay Connected