The World's Greatest Shave

Mark Batten and Lynda Rose and their children David Batten, 18, and Kiara Batten, 15 , all of Goolmangar, might be in the market for some beanies come winter after the family participated in the World’s Greatest Shave.

DAVID NIELSEN

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World's Greatest Shave 2010

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HEADS were bared but unbowed on Saturday, as locals lined up to sacrifice their flowing locks to a worthy cause.

The World’s Greatest Shave at Lismore Square drew plenty of big-haired and big-hearted volunteers willing to become skinheads to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation.

In the afternoon session, they ranged from eight-year-old Jae Waters, of South Ballina, who had the standard ‘No. 1’ shave, to his grandmother, Judy Blackler, 72, who turned pink for the day.

Jae managed to raise a staggering $1600 – motivated by a desire to help his ‘Poppy’, granddad John Blackler, who has cancer.

The Empire Vale schoolboy was supported by dad Aldo, who also put his mop where his mouth is – though he decided against going for the mohican cut proposed by hairstylist Katrina Fuller, of TMH Salons

Another family to front up to the challenge was the Battens of Goolmangar, led by daughter Kiara, 15, who put her head in the hands of her regular stylist, Amanda Clifford, of Stephanie Hair Design.

She was followed into the chair by brother David, 18, then by dad Mark, and a last minute entry, mum Lynda Rose.

Kiara was supported by her Richmond River High classmates Tim Goodman and Lorraine Woodman.

Lorraine, who chose the slightly safer No. 3 style, was nevertheless ‘scared’ afterwards, because her parents liked the long tresses she sported during the summer holidays, and were likely to get a shock.

Kiara had raised almost $600 by the time the session began – some of it from friends and family in New Zealand – and cash poured into the buckets while the shearing went on.

A couple of teenagers, Craig and Joe, joined in at the last moment, figuring $10 was a small price to pay for a stylist’s cut, no matter how short.

Kiara, who has done nothing like this before, said when she saw the adverts and understood how many people were afflicted by leukaemia, she was prompted to raise as much money as she could.

Up to 40,000 people in Australia live with some form of blood cancer today, she said: “That’s the population of Lismore.”

She and the others in Lismore yesterday were among an expected 125,000 brave and selfless souls who are this year willing to put their heads on the block.