Hair today, gone for a great cause

“The World’s Greatest Shave” will take place this Friday to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Sydney’s event will be held in Martin Place, where participants can help to raise much needed funds to help care for blood cancer sufferers.

Marketing Manager for the Leukaemia Foundation in NSW and ACT, Christine Campbell, said the World’s Greatest Shave is the group’s most important fundraiser.

“We don’t receive any government funding so we rely on [the] community, businesses and fundraisers like the World’s Greatest Shave to actually exist,” she said.

“This year we’re hoping to raise thirteen and a half million [dollars].”

There will be plenty happening as part of the event, Ms Campbell said.

“What we’re doing is inviting everyone in the public to come down and shave or colour their hair from 8am to 10am, we’re also going to have some live entertainment,” she said.

“We’re also doing another shave between 12pm and 2pm … Sydney Hilton are going to be selling muffins in the morning and we have 2Day FM coming in at lunchtime.”

Several NRL players will also be in attendance, including South Sydney’s Jamie Simpson, himself a lymphoma survivor.

Ms Campbell said money raised would go towards providing much needed support services for patients.

“We have a support service team who look after the patients and provide education groups, support groups as well as one-on-one counselling,” she said.

“We [also] have free patient transport between the patient’s home and the hospital, and we have free accommodation in Westmead and Waverton, and in Canberra and Newcastle.”

Ms Campbell said a recent study had found blood cancers, which also include lymphoma and myeloma, to be the second-biggest cancer killer in Australia.