Community
21 March, 2025
Clippers warming for Weerite resident
MORNING Melodies raffle organiser Trish Holley will be shaving her hair for charity tomorrow (Saturday, March 22), with residents invited to a fundraising event at her doorstep.
Ms Holley will be doing the shave for the second time, having participated 12 years ago in honour of those who had died from blood cancer.
She said this year will see her shaving her hair in honour of her late mother, who would have turned 100 over the weekend.
“She had lymphoma 25 years ago and didn’t survive,” she said.
“My fundraising efforts every year either go towards the Leukemia Foundation or the Lymphoma Foundation.
“Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with stage three lymphoma – I had my treatment and I’m in remission.
“There is no cure, but you treat the symptoms – it’s not cancer, but it (the treatment) has an impact on your body in other ways.
“I have ongoing immunotherapy infusions every week to boost up my white blood cells.”
Ms Holley said she had set a goal of $560 for the Leukemia Foundation but has already surpassed the goal.
This was aided by Wednesday’s Morning Melodies, where $594 was donated towards her cause, as well as $371 in direct donations and $389 online donations – which at time of publication, have totalled $1354.
Ms Holley said she had found both the Leukemia Foundation and the Lymphoma Foundation helpful during her cancer journey, with the foundations providing education to families and cancer patients as well as various types of assistance.
“They do put a lot of money into research into trying to identity where they can assist patients already with cancer, but also trying to find a cure for blood cancer,” she said.
“There’s a whole program of different things they can assist with – raising the money is extremely important.
“They assist with accommodation for country people who have to travel to city hospitals or a fair distance to receive treatment.
“They also offer financial assistance – when people are first diagnosed, families lose their main source of income.”
The hair shaving will be accompanied by an afternoon event starting at 1pm and going until 4pm, which will be held at 3650 Princes Highway in Weerite.
The afternoon will see live music accompanied by an afternoon tea and raffles throughout the event.
Ms Holley said entry was free but encouraged residents to donate to the cause while enjoying themselves.
“I will be putting my hair into little pigtails, and asking people to donate a gold coin to cut the ponytail off,” she said.
“The ponytails are going to Sustainable Salons, which works in conjunction with the Foundation.
“Where your hair is not long enough to send off to become wigs for cancer patients, hair can be sent to Sustainable Salons and they put it into booms to soak up oil in the ocean when there’s oil spills.”
Donations can also be made online at https://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/fundraisers/theweeritewarriors.
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