MY HAIRY IDEA IS SAVING LIVES!
ONE AUSSIE MUM’S LOVE OF MULLETS HAS HELPED HUNDREDS BATTLING CANCER
Laura Johnson scanned the pub as customers swigged on their beers, her heart sank. The atmosphere wasn’t how it used to be in the Chelmsford Hotel – better known as the ‘Chelly’ – in Kurri Kurri, NSW.
“The town was going through an economic downturn and the pub that’d been in my family for 28 years was now a shadow of its former lively self,” Laura, 38, tells New Idea.
Laura is the first to admit she and her husband JJ were struggling too. It was a tough time for the couple, especially as Laura’s best friend’s husband, Matt, was battling brain cancer. So, the
mum to four boys – Ian, Jay, Leverett and Max – had an idea to help locals get back on their feet and entice tourism to the town ... a mullet festival!
As a former hairdresser, Laura was outspoken in her aversion to the ‘business in the front, party at the back’ style.
But with JJ, 43, being a diehard mullet lover, Laura had no choice but to learn to love it. Of course, all her kids wanted mullets and, given Laura’s skills, she was the one who had to snip and style them.
“JJ had one, his dad had one, as did my boys Max and Leverett – and they all thought theirs was the best.”
Laura quickly pulled the event together, creating a website and Mcing the event herself at the pub. In February 2018 beers – and mullets – flowed as 20 locals took to the stage to try to win the first mullet championship, and finally laughter bounced off the walls once again in the Chelly.
The hairy competitors entered across 10 different categories including grubby – for dirty, dreadlock mullets; vintage – for older contestants; everyday mullets; rookie; extreme; junior and even a ‘ranga’ one.
In honour of Matt, they decided to donate funds to the Mark Hughes Foundation – a not-for-profit charity for research into a cure for brain cancer.
“He was stoked when we told him,” Laura says proudly.
The following year, Mulletfest entries soared to 140 and the town’s population exploded to 3000. But it was
‘MULLETS ARE THE NEW THING’
a bittersweet time when sadly, three weeks later, Matt lost his battle with brain cancer.
“We were heartbroken, but it made us more determined to carry on with our mission to spread smiles and fundraise,” Laura says.
This year, Laura and her team raised more than $30,000 and the mighty mullet lover has taken the show on the road, touring to help rural towns doing it tough all over Australia.
Laura’s hairy idea even caught international attention with production crews from
Croatia and the Czech Republic visiting Kurri Kurri to film a documentary.
“Mulletfest saved our town and I want to help others come back from the brink,” says Laura. “It has brought love, laughter, mateship and happiness back to my town and it helps save lives.”