Close shave for child cancer

Three members of the City Council staff and a Councillor are challenging their counterparts at Manawatu District Council and Horizons Regional Council to go bald for child cancer.


Their rendezvous with a razor on December 6 is part of fundraising for the Manawatu/Wanganui branch of the Child Cancer Foundation.


Tracey Boukhelida, Kiri Thompson, Justine McLeod and Cr Lew Findlay, together with about 30 volunteers from around the city, are hoping to raise $25,000 through sponsorship for the foundation.


The City Council team, while encouraging more staff to join them, is challenging the two other local authorities to a competition to raise the most money through sponsorship.


And if they lose they’re prepared to have the other Councils’ abbreviation shaved into their number ones – MDC for Manawatu District and HRC for Horizons.


However all four are confident of victory – “it won’t even be a close shave” they say. So far they’ve raised just over $2,000 in sponsorship between them.


The fundraiser takes place at the Rose And Crown on December 6 from 5.30pm and five stylists from Bladez Barber Shop will shave the heads although volunteers have the option of a number one to four cut.

Foundation chairperson, Leanne Focser, says the funding will go towards the 13 children in the region who are currently undergoing treatment for cancer