PE stylist raises funds for cancer research
Eighteen-hour cut-a-thon in memory of stylist’s mother
APORT Elizabeth hair stylist will plough through as many heads of hair as he can later this month in an 18-hour cut-a-thon to raise funds for kidney and renal cancer research.
The cut-a-thon will be in memory of stylist Warren Schulz’s mother, Amelia, who died of renal cancer 10 years ago.
Schulz, 30, will be cutting hair for 18 hours straight on August 26.
“My mom never got to see me in action, doing what I am passionate about,” he said.
“That is why I thought this would be a great way to remember her.”
Schulz is a stylist at Nouvo in Walmer.
“My mom was diagnosed with a tumour on her kidney in May 2004,” he said.
“The cancer just spread around her body. Doctors gave her six months but she only died in 2006.”
For the last four months of her life, his mother was bedridden.
“She became completely paralysed and my dad had to do everything for her,” Schulz said.
This year it will be 10 years since she died.
“I want to honour my mom by doing this,” Schulz said.
He said he also wanted to attract attention to kidney and renal cancer as it was not a mainstream cancer.
“That is why we want to raise money for research too,” he said.
The cut-a-thon will coincide with his mother’s birthday on August 26.
“I am going to start cutting hair at 6am and carry on to midnight,” he said. He said the Walmer salon would be done up with green banners on the day as it was the colour for renal cancer awareness.
“I think a highly motivating factor for me, too, was that I have two friends who also lost their mothers to cancer this year,” he said.
He said any companies who wanted to sponsor the event could still get in touch.
“We announced the event on July 16 and the response has been really amazing,” he said.
“There are still some spots open for anybody who wants their hair cut.”
The money raised during the hair-cutting marathon will be donated to the Cancer Association of South Africa.
Schulz said he was not sure how many people’s hair he could cut in 18 hours.
“My record for cutting hair in one day is 36,” he said.
Nouvo general manager Elzabe Boshoff said: ‘We are backing him 100% to honour the 10-year anniversary of his mom’s death.”