A donation of £3,500 has been given to the breast cancer team at St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle, all thanks to a pink wig parade.

The money was raised by the Pink Wiggers group in Falmouth during their annual Pink Wig parade and a Pink Wig night during Falmouth Week 2012.

Emma Kent, clinical nurse specialist in Gynaecology/ Oncology, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, and also a Pink Wigger, said: “In 2009 our friend Sally Hicks-Wood was diagnosed with breast cancer. A group of us, including Sally, decided to have a girls’ gathering (night out) in Falmouth and all wore pink wigs. People were asking what it was all about and when we told them they wanted to give us money for breast cancer. That gave us the idea for fundraising.”

In 2010, during another evening out £1,000 was collected. This was given to a national breast cancer charity. In 2011, the event raised £2,500.

Emma said: “That gave us the spur we needed to organise something even bigger and last year we kicked off Falmouth Week in Events Square with a band, DJ, our own Champagne bar and with over 500 flocking to it, we managed to raise £7,700. Although we have always supported national breast cancer campaigns, we decided we wanted to keep some of it locally and so chose St Michael’s Hospital because that it where a lot of the breast cancer operations are done now.”

And despite their success the group aren’t stopping there. There are high hopes for this year. In April there will be a Pink Tie Ball at the Greenbank Hotel and Pink Wig night is on August 9. Emma said: “We will be holding our pink wig parade from Falmouth Moor through the town and then there is the main event in Events Square. Throughout the year there will be other activities and events including some charity bike rides.”

For more details about the Pink Wig group, events and fundraising check out their web page www.pinkwigevent.org.uk or go to the group’s Facebook page: pinkwignight-falmouth