Gone for a good cause
More than 10 people lost their hair, raising more than $1700 for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand in a Shave for a Cure event held by Farmers Levin.
Up to 40 members of the public stopped outside Farmers in the Levin Mall on Saturday afternoon to see adults and children stepping up to lose their locks, including members of the Horowhenua Southern Tribes Brazilian Jui Jitsu team, and couple Jane and Gary Christie in support of Jane’s sister in Australia undergoing treatment for lymphoma who watched her sister lose her shoulder-length hair via Facetime. Orlando Janse, 12, said he was shaving for a cure because “cancer is a bad thing”.
More than $1100 in sponsorship was raised by the Jui Jitsu team, with one member, 10-year-old Quinn Sinkinson raising $230 alone. Jane and Gary raised $600. Including donations from Farmers Levin customers and money raised from raffles the grand total was just under $5000 raised for the blood cancer charity.
Rebekah Greig, Farmers Levin sales and servicing manager, said it was the first time the store had hosted this event and it was an “overwhelmingly positive experience” that may be held again.
“It went really well and it was great to have the support of the community,” she said.
For those who didn’t want to take the plunge and shave, there was an opportunity to have some fun, pay $10 for a crazy hairstyle and take part in the ‘crazy hair parade’ at the end.