The World's Greatest Shave team inspired by 10-year-old Woonona girl Charli Gerrey has achieved a massive result in this year's event, raising almost $122,000 to date.
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Woonona Bulli RSL was filled with laughter and the buzz of shavers at the weekend as Charli's friends, family and wider members of the community came together to generate money for the Leukaemia Foundation.
Charli was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, last May at the age of nine.
The past 10 months have proved to be incredibly challenging for Charli and her family, with Charli enduring ongoing treatments, many hospital stays, and a number of complications.
She was discharged from the Sydney Children's Hospital on Friday, just in time to join in Saturday's fun.
Her mother Faye said it was the happiest and most energised she had seen Charli in months.
"It was incredible, it was a really insane, massive day," Mrs Gerrey said.
It was a full house at the RSL club, with all 250 tickets booked.
Charli did the honours of shaving her mum's hair on Saturday when the hair-cutting got under way.
In total eighteen members of the Shine Like Charli team either shaved off or cut their locks, but Mrs Gerrey said other people - including children - decided to jump in at the end and have their heads shaved too.
She remarked on how many people were "incredibly generous".
"It's just amazing how much money people spent on the raffle and in support of us and the Leukaemia Foundation," Mrs Gerrey said.
Shine Like Charli is the highest fundraising team in Australia this year.
They've well surpassed the efforts of the top team in last year's shave, which raised close to $113,000.
The money they have raised will go towards the Leukaemia Foundation's work supporting patients and their families.
It will also fund research into blood cancer to help the foundation reach its goal of seeing no one die of blood cancer by 2035.
Blood cancer, specifically leukaemia and lymphoma, is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in Australian children.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
