A group of follically-challenged Dunedin men, unable to take part in a head-shave, are baring their chests in support of Kiwi children with cancer.
Five Fulton Hogan workers are waxing their chests to fundraise for the Child Cancer Foundation and at Otago Polytechnic yesterday, paving department manager Caleb Green got a taste of the process before the big event on September 16.
When the wax (and hair) came off his chest, Mr Green laughed through the pain and encouraged people to give to the foundation’s Wig Wednesday campaign in whatever way they could.
‘‘It makes a massive difference to families going through it,’’ he said.
‘‘That’s why I’m lying here.’’
‘‘Some of us have got a little bit less to lose on the top from the traditional head shaving,’’ Mr Green said.
‘‘A couple of them, I just didn't give them the option. And yeah, kind of just guilt-tripped the rest.’’
‘‘One said he's going to wear sunglasses so you can't see him cry.’’
Senior beauty therapist lecturer Justine Brown said the men would be getting waxed by students studying for their level 4 certificate or level 5 diploma in beauty therapy.
She had ‘‘jumped at the chance’’ for her students to wax some chests.
Dunedin’s Fulton Hogan crew had so far raised $5400, surpassing their original goal of $1000, and were aiming to beat the efforts of the Central Otago team who last year raised more than $20,000 for cancer research in honour of 4-year-old Isabel Gillaly, of Alexandra.
Isabel recently completed 26 months of treatment for leukaemia. Her father, Sam, was Aspiring Highways’ works manager.
Mr Green had faced his own cancer journey and his daughter was a similar age to Isabel which struck a chord.
‘‘I just can't imagine how horrible that must be to watch your kid go through it,’’ he said.
‘‘I've had residential contractors that have been 30, 40 years in the business, hard as nails, who reached out and donated and said ‘that's something that just shouldn't happen’.
‘‘[It’s] quite touching to see that side of people, it's been really positive so far.’’
He had some friendly advice did for others going under the wax strip, ‘‘some painkillers wouldn't go astray’’.
‘‘Other than hat, it's all for a good cause, lads.’’
