It sent tingles down my spine. Even though the excited buzz continued loudly, everyone's attention was now focused on the makeshift marquee.A beautiful girl had just sat before the huge crowd. She had gorgeous glossy hair. It almost glowed in the afternoon sun. She smiled out to the audience, before a single tear fell silently down her cheek.
A loud whirring began suddenly behind her, and she reached out to the girl sitting to her left. They wound their fingers together & held each other tightly, as the girl's silver bangles shone in the brilliant light. The crowd fell silent as her glossy hair began to fall in pieces to the ground.
The young woman stood up; Her head completely bald. The crowd exploded into deafening cheers, as though she had just completed a marathon.This woman had just shaved her head in remembrance of her Loved One, who had suddenly lost his battle with cancer.
The whole crowd of people had gathered here, helping to raise money for The Leukaemia Foundation. One by one, they all sat in that chair & said goodbye to their hair.
By late afternoon, the ground was a carpet of hair; straight, curly, short, long, blonde, brown, black - Even Pink!
...
Yes, It is emotional & it is often a tough decision, but this small crowd raised almost $20,000.
That really puts it into perspective.
Almost $20,000 from one day of raffles, fundraisers, auctions, donations and, of course, The Shave.
This money will help Hundreds of families. It will go toward helping those suffering with leukaemias, lymphomas, myeloma & other blood-related disorders.
We personally know people who have struggled with cancer; some have survived, some are still battling, and some have unfortunately passed away from severe illnesses such as these. One of these people is directly involved with Verge.So that's why we decided to volunteer our time to photograph the Shave for a Cure on March 13th, 2011.
There were so many people there, supporting the Leukaemia Foundation. It was truly an inspiration.
The atmosphere was an unmistakable celebration.
All these people had initially gathered to remember a family member who had suddenly passed from cancer...and from just this one event, raised almost $20,000.
That's phenominal!
We'd like to offer our massive Congratulations to those who organised, donated, attended, volunteered & Shaved for a Cure.
One person can make an incredible difference to the lives of so many people, so it's mind-blowing to think what 20, or 50, or 100 people could achieve.
We applaud your boldness, your strength & your courage!!
Thank you, on behalf of every family whose life will be touched by your mammoth efforts.Love,
The Verge Team!
