Human shearing competition for Redkite

In a sheepish twist on the usual head shave fundraiser, 115 locals from the area around Ballimore, half an hour east of Dubbo, are running a human shearing competition on Sunday 30th May, to raise money for Redkite.

While 14 year-old Meagan Byrne faces 48 weeks of chemotherapy in Sydney, people in her local community are throwing their support behind Meagan and her family by shaving their heads as part of a human shearing competition to raise vital funds for Redkite that supports children and young people with cancer and their families.

The Byrne family found out Meagan was diagnosed with muscular cancer at the beginning of the school term, after receiving a phone call on her first day of Year 10. Redkite was there to help Meagan and her family when they first went to hospital.

“We dropped Meagan into school on her first day and got a phone call from the doctor,” Meagan’s father Grant Byrne recalls. “They said ‘go and get your gear, you’ve got to be in Sydney this week’ and she has been there pretty well ever since.

“Redkite showed up with a bag full of gear to help us get through those first couple of days – stuff you need to make it a bit easier – shampoos, toothbrushes” said Mr Byrne.

Now 115 members of the local community are rallying around the cause – the first head shave took place back in March with this second head shave taking place at Ballimore Inn on Sunday May 30, 2010.

The inspiration for the human shearing competition came from its organiser Tony Inder, a Merino Stud farm owner from Goolma, whose daughter Jess, went to high school with Meagan.

Tony is extremely happy with the response from the local community saying, “Originally we were hoping to raise around $1,500, but now that we have over 100 people participating I’m hoping we can reach up to $20,000!”

Prizes will be awarded for the most money raised, the largest amount of hair to grow back in the nine weeks, finest micron, longest staple, and broadest micron.

For more information on the competition, or if you would like to become involved or sponsor a ‘shearer’, please call Tony Inder on 02 6374 5110 or you can donate directly here.
 
For further information please contact:
Susie Cameron, Redkite
T: 02 9219 4018    E: scameron@redkite.org.au