A BEECHBORO teacher says losing many close loved ones to cancer inspires him to keep on participating in an annual charity shave event.
John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School Beechboro Year 6 teacher Simon Brodie shaved his head for the 20th year on October 19, as apart of the school’s Me No Hair campaign, which raised money for Cancer Council WA.
Mr Brodie said 12 students and three staff members participated in the event.
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READ NOW“Some of the students who participated had been avoiding haircuts for most of the year so they had a good head of hair for the day,” he said.
“I’m getting used to it now and actually look forward to getting my head shaved… strangely I actually find it quite relaxing, it’s a little like a head and scalp massage.
“Over the years we have now raised in excess of $100,000 though our efforts.”
Mr Brodie said the school had lost many friends to cancer.
“The current Year 6 group lost a classmate to cancer when they were in Year 2; this year I think it inspired more than normal to participate in memory of Josh,” he said.
“I first became involved in the Me No Hair day when a student in my class had cancer; thankfully he was diagnosed in time and received treatment for his cancer.”
Mr Brodie said cancer was an “insidious” disease and could strike anyone at anytime.
“There is no rhyme or reason to it and the suffering that people go through is very hard to watch, especially on those who mean a lot to you,” he said.
“Watching a good friend of mine slowly suffer and die due to brain cancer a some years ago brought home to me the cruelty of the disease; he was only mid 30s with everything to live for.”
For more information, check out the Me No Hair page: http://goo.gl/6MjRqs