Brave duo prepare to shed their locks for St Mary’s
WITH barbers closed for the past two months a lot of men have resorted to dusting off the hair clippers and doing the job themselves.
Hairdressers are closed too, but so far most of the female populace have resisted the temptation to ‘borrow’ those clippers. I say most, because Siobhan Murphy and Sharon Kelly of St Mary’s Day Centre in Tagoat are following the lead of the men and going full skinhead on June 1.
There is, of course, method in the ladies’ madness.
‘With our income having virtually dried up we were throwing around ideas for fundraisers,’ explains Siobhan. ‘I was talking to Sharon about it and she suggested we do a headshave.’
Setting themselves an initial target of €1,000 Siobhan and Sharon are ready to sacrifice their locks for the greater good and ensure their clients continue to receive the many vital services St Mary’s provides.
‘The money raised from this will allow us to keep doing the meals on wheels, pay for things like the insurance on the building, keep our buses on the road,’ Siobhan said.
And the brave duo are providing extra incentive for those who donate; if €1000 is raised they will do a full head shave, if the figure goes above €2000 they will get half their head shaved and leave it for one week, and if it goes above €3,000 they will get half their head shaved and leave it for two weeks,
Which half they plan to shave remains to be seen but for those who wish to witness the act live it will be streamed on the Centre’s Facebook page on Monday, June 1 at 10.30 a.m.
People can donate by visiting St Mary’s and leaving money in one of the buckets there or by visiting the Facebook page and following the link to an online system. Siobhan is also hoping some local businesses will get on board and lend their support. Ultimately the focus is on ensuring those who can’t currently visit the centre continue to receive the support of its staff.
‘Our service users are coping, they would love to be back with us but they know they can’t. We’re keeping in touch with them, I could be on the phone for an hour with someone when I ring. And the drivers take time to chat with them too. The local guard Robbie Aylward has got involved, he calls in to them and answers whatever queries they might have,’ Siobhan said.