Yorkton cancer non-profit reaches $1M milestone, accepts over $10K from Smile Cookie Campaign

Yorkton, Sask. -

Close Cuts for Cancer, a non-profit organization in Yorkton, has reached its $1 million milestone.

It all started in 1998, when Greg Ottenbreit wanted to do something for his son, Brayden, to show his support for his cancer diagnosis.

He and a few of his close friends decided to shave their heads, so Brayden didn’t feel left out.

Two years later, at the age of four, Brayden passed away following his battle with Ganglioneuroblastoma. However, that didn’t signal the end of the annual head shaves, it was merely the beginning.

25 years later — and 25 annual head shaves later — the local non-profit has reached a major milestone.

After the accounting is completed this year, the Ottenbreits will have surpassed the $1 million amount raised for local cancer initiatives in the last quarter century.

Leone Ottenbreit, co-founder of the non-profit and Brayden’s mother, described the total as “amazing.”

“For us, it will always be about Brayden, but many of the people partnering with us have never had the opportunity to meet him. But, it’s a double-edged sword because cancer is affecting so many people, so we always have more people coming and joining us,” she said.

“We are so thankful for the community’s support. Because honestly, we’re just the ones that put it together, but it’s the community of Yorkton and area that really is integral in us reaching that milestone.”

Leone and Greg both spoke at a press conference Friday, accepting a cheque for $10,759.63 from the recent Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie campaign, where the non-profit benefited from over 10,000 cookies sold by the two Yorkton locations — the largest total for this particular campaign for the non-profit, to date.

For this total, and all the others given to the non-profit in its 25 years, Greg was honoured to accept the cheque made out in his son’s name, and the non-profit started by the couple.

From the annual head shaves grew more local initiatives, including an annual book drive, a fun run, and everything in between. However, in 2017, the work got even more personal for the couple.

Greg was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in late 2016. He has since had surgery, along with seven months of chemotherapy, and recently had his final scheduled CT scan at Regina’s Allen Blair Cancer Centre.

“My oncologist half-jokingly said, ‘I never want to see you again — well, professionally, anyways,’” Greg said, before speaking about seeing his cancer journey like those the family is trying to help.

“We see that it’s working. We see that it’s making a difference … we hear back from those people [we have helped] that it does make a difference. Whether we’re supporting them emotionally, physically, or through some of the fundraising we’re doing, [it’s] just a win for everybody.”

Through the work with Brayden Ottenbreit’s Close Cuts for Cancer, Greg said watching Brayden’s bravery in the late 1990’s helped him push through.

“To see how he endured it, and went through, I thought, ‘If that little guy can do it, it shouldn’t be too much problem for me,’” he said.

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Reflecting on the $1 million total, Greg said the money is one thing, but seeing the impacts is the real treat.

“Some of the different initiatives we’ve been able to invest in, that have improved the lives of people with cancer or improved the treatments, improved peoples’ outcomes, that’s what it’s really about for us, is just providing that support,” he said.

All of the funds raised head to the local Cancer Initiatives Program, according to Greg and Leone. It is a program aiming to enhance the lives of local cancer patients and their families.

The program includes helping fund one-night stays at the Regina Cancer Patient Lodge, one week stays at the Ronald McDonald House, along with the Camp Circle of Friends.

The Ottenbreits are also involved in the Cancer Champions program, which gives every child battling cancer in Saskatchewan a chemo-accessible shirt, along with a trophy at the end of treatment.