Pink Wig Foundation offers support to women as they battle cancer

An organization that supports women during their most difficult time is a legacy a young Saskatchewan woman left behind.

The Pink Wig Foundation provides Saskatchewan women ages 16 to 50 with financial support during a patient’s battle with cancer.

Helen Davis, the recipient liaison for the non-profit organization, said its story began with Tracy Dinh.

In 2011, when she was 25, Dinh was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cervical cancer.

As Dinh walked through her own journey, she saw a need for more support for young women in the community who were just getting started with their lives and had been diagnosed with cancer, Davis explained.

For Dinh, it started as a bucket-list trip to Hawaii.

“She knew that she didn’t have a lot of time. She wanted to spend her time healthy and happy with her loved ones,” Davis said.

Davis said unlike other charities and non-profits, the foundation’s support comes in the form of a financial grant to help with anything a recipient needs to alleviate the financial stress that comes with a diagnosis.

“We’ve supported all types of women, some with bucket lists that are reaching the end of their days (and) others that are going back to school or buying a first house,” Davis said.

To date, Davis said the foundation has helped more than 50 women.

Dinh died in 2012, and Davis said Dinh’s wish was to have the foundation continue on.

Davis said the foundation has come a long way. The first fundraiser started with friends and family who rallied behind Dinh.

Today, the foundation’s main fundraiser is an annual gala at the Bessborough in Saskatoon. Last year’s gala raised just under $50,000, Davis said.

“It’s pretty amazing to see how this has grown, and that isn’t possible without the support of our community,” Davis said.

According to the foundation’s page, more than $450,000 has been raised since its start.

More information can be found on the Pink Wig Foundation’s website.