A Timaru Boys’ High School pupil went under the clippers last week — saying goodbye to his luscious locks after raising over $1700 for charity.
Flynn Brookland, 16, began growing his hair out in October last year and by December decided he would keep going and participate in Shave for a Cure.
He said the reason for him undertaking the shave was that he had two grandparents battle cancer last year.
‘‘With my mum’s dad we were heading up to Christchurch quite regularly and helping out with chemotherapy. So, a big part of it was wanting to do something to give back because I know so many people struggle with it.
‘‘The real big thing for me was just to raise awareness and say, ‘help someone, you may just change a life’.’’
Initially his goal was to raise $800 but by the time it came to shave day he had raised $1742.
He said it was an awesome feeling to have raised more than double his goal.
‘‘I put the $800 goal there and I would have been stoked even just getting that. To get over $1700 is just unreal.’’
He said it was amazing to have had so much support, including a lot from his school.
‘‘At school when your hair touches your collar you have to tie it up but they said ‘you’ve got a good cause and we’re going to support you, so just let it grow’, which was awesome.
‘‘It’s been really outstanding from people to help me out. School also put it up on the Facebook page and helped with getting the awareness out there about it.’’
Flynn’s mother, Bec Brookland, said she could not have been prouder of her son.
‘‘For him to come up with the idea by himself and decide that he was going to support Shave for a Cure is a really cool thing for a teenager to think about.
‘‘Everyone should take the opportunity to support a cause if they can, especially cancer, because it affects so many people.’’
Flynn said the new haircut might take some time to get used to but he was happy to have gone through with the shave.
‘‘It’s different, it’s definitely different. It’ll be nice to not have to push it out of my eyes every now and again.
‘‘I really enjoyed the process. I liked getting it out there, getting that awareness. It’s nice to know I’m giving to someone else who may have struggled with it [cancer] in their life because everyone knows someone who has had it.’’
His Shave for a Cure page is still open for donations for anyone wishing to support him.
