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Half the fun of getting one’s head shaved to raise money for cancer research and show solidarity with those suffering from the disease, would likely be attracting a good crowd to watch.
That might prove tricky during lockdown but the Swift family was more than equal to the challenge.
George Swift, 22, elected to have her locks removed, her Dad did the shaving and her Mum texted all the neighbours in Wainoni Place, Warkworth, to bring a celebratory drink and come out on to the street and watch.
Those living down the cul-de-sac have a reputation for being a close, tightly-knit community, so come out they did – though they took care to keep the required two-metres apart.
They were treated to quite a show as George’s Dad, Marty, experimented with numerous different styles, including a mullet and a mohawk, before achieving a number “0” cut with the razor.
George, a former hairdresser herself, says her Dad did a reasonable job, but she wouldn’t trust him to cut her hair again, unless she was once again going for an extremely short style.
George raised more than $800 for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand’s “Shave for a Cure” fundraiser.
She says this was more than her goal of $700, but she did not feel like pressing people too hard to contribute given the more difficult economic circumstances people were in because of the lockdown.
In addition to the head shave event, Wainoni residents also came out on the street every Friday evening during lockdown to have a few drinks in honour of essential workers.
“We’ve nicknamed our street “wine only place”, George says.
