Shave for the Brave News

Do you know who the Brave are?

Posted on Oct 12, 2010

Imagine if you were 25, a recent graduate, newly married, working as an adventure tour guide, seemingly healthy. Sounds like a pretty good track, right? Then, imagine you were told about a grapefruit-sized tumour in your chest. What would you do?   

That’s the beginning of Mike Lang’s recent history.

Luckily for young cancer survivors everywhere, part two of that story is about a passionate, caring, person who dedicates most of his time to helping others fight their fight with action, positivity, and hope.

Mike has facilitated many events to bring people together and build a support community. He hosts Survive & Thrive expeditions, outdoor events where small groups challenge themselves by rafting in rapids and climbing in unfamiliar areas. He has been instrumental in Retreat Yourself West, weekend-long gatherings of survivors and supporters to recharge, relax, and share their stories to people who get it.

He was also responsible for coordinating two firsts for the Shave for the Brave: a public shave in Calgary, and a Skype Shave challenge between Glenmore Christian Academy in Alberta and Mount Pearl Intermediate in Newfoundland. He included new elements into the event to entertain everyone such as a mullet pageant (in which he was a contestant) and a beat boxing performance by Peterpot.

The Calgary events drew an incredible amount of people and Mike’s enthusiasm has led to the opening of our first office outside of Newfoundland.

The Brave are people like Mike who are determined to improve in the face of something we have little control over. He showed his bravery through his treatment and he is brave for using his experience and skills to help ease the weight of the journeys of others. He didn’t choose to ignore cancer and hope it would fade into a distant memory; he is doing something about it and helping us help more people each year.

Read Mikey's profile here.

We are gearing up for the winter 2011 Shave season and will post the latest information on Shaveforthebrave.ca as it is available.