A loss of locks is neither hair nor there
Hunta Chapman didn’t need his hair so he gave it away.
The Tokoroa Year 9 Forest View High School student didn’t think twice when asked to participate in the cancer fundraiser Shave for a Cure.
‘‘Two weeks ago I was in maths and [senior lake leader] Bayleigh Diaz came in so I asked what she was doing and she said she was trying to find some people that would like to shave their heads for Shave for a Cure and I just straight away volunteered,’’ he said.
‘‘A lot of people just think too much about their hair, they think ‘oh my hair is everything to me I am going to brush it and keep it nice and tidy’ but I thought ‘well I don’t really need hair, I am a boy, other people could use my hair’.’’
Hunta said taking part held special significance for him which he wanted to highlight.
‘‘My cousin died when he was about five-years-old from cancer. I think he’d be in his 30s now and my middle name Royce was named after him so he’s one of the reasons,’’ he said.
‘‘I just thought it would be a good thing as a lot of people don’t see those reasons.’’
And so a couple of weeks later the big day came when Hunta’s head was shaved in front of the entire school.
‘‘I have three sisters and when I first told them they didn’t really believe that I was going to do it. Before it got shaven off my twin came up to me and she hugged me and said ‘I am going to miss your hair’,’’ he laughed.
‘‘I was quite nervous when my teacher Mr [Aaron] Mutua, who had a microphone and speaker, asked me to come up on the day. My mum’s friend Dianne Collins took a before photo and then Cairo Samson the barber asked if I wanted all of it shaved off or a fade so I said a fade.’’
‘‘He started and I was thinking ‘‘well there is no turning back now, this is it.’’
‘‘When he was halfway through a big crowd of people swarmed around me and they were saying ‘‘oh that looks cool’’. Everyone has been so nice and said I am the man,’’ he said.
Hunta managed to raise $542 during the shave.
‘‘There were heaps of people that came down to donate money and I just want to thank everyone for not teasing me or anything,’’ he said.
He encouraged others to take part in the fundraiser.