Teen to shave for cure

LISMORE teenager Jacob Anemaat may dearly miss his curly ’fro come Friday afternoon.

The cure: World’s Greatest Shave participants (from left) Bradley Brown, Jacob Anemaat, Daniel Windler and Blair Godfrey let their hair down at Lismore High School before it all gets shaved off for the Leukaemia Foundation.

LISMORE teenager Jacob Anemaat may dearly miss his curly ’fro come Friday afternoon.

The Lismore High student will be ending his four-year run without a haircut as part of the World’s Greatest Shave.

Along with raising money for research and spreading awareness among his school mates, Jacob had hoped to donate his hair to wigmakers who service cancer patients but his tightly curled hair isn’t quite long enough.

Even though his locks won’t be gracing another’s head, the 17-year -old is content with the contribution his haircut will make.

“I started thinking about cutting my hair last year and I thought I’ll wait till next year to go in the World’s Greatest Shave,” Jacob said.

“You learn more about leukaemia and the Leukaemia Foundation and shaving my hair at school will show everyone else why I am doing it.”

Few are aware of the further contribution to the Leukaemia Foundation some participants can make by donating their hair.

Providing their tresses meet the criteria, Ascot Wigmakers uses the hair to create wigs for chemotherapy patients, accident and burns victims and alopecia suffers.

The restrictions on donations are strict. The hair must be at least 35cm in length, uncoloured and sent in a neat plait with a rubber band around each end.

These requirements help wigmakers produce quality, natural wigs for patients who have lost their hair during treatment.

Fellow Year 12 students Blair Godfrey, Daniel Windler and Bradley Brown, all 17, will be joining Jacob in a hair cut and have raised around $300 each with hopes to raise more.

The foursome will join many more students shaving their heads in front of the rest of the school at Lismore High during lunchtime on Friday.

Daniel Windler has been saving every last hair on his head in anticipation of the event.

“He won’t let anyone touch his hair and I have been nagging him to get a haircut and suddenly one day he said I’m saving it for (the World’s Greatest Shave),” Daniel’s mother Trish Windler said.

“We have had cancer in our family so I was proud when he came home and said I am doing it.”

Originally published as Teen to shave for cure