WHEN Kate Shearer took to the stage at the Casey-Cardinia Relay for Life, it wasn’t to entertain the crowd.
The 16-year-old had her long ponytail cut off and head shaved to raise awareness and money for the Cancer Council – and she was joined by three other women.
On the first attempt, Kate’s thick ponytail broke the scissors.
“Kate did really well and her brother Jack cut her ponytail,” her mother Kerri said.
“The scissors broke when he first cut it and he had to cut the rest with broken scissors.”
After the 2012 Relay for Life when Kate’s cousin’s girlfriend shaved her head, she was determined to raise as much money as she could.
“She’s been saying she was going to do it all year and she stuck to it,” Kerri said.
“We had lots of support and Kate raised over $5000 for the team.”
Kerri couldn’t have been prouder of her daughter, who shaved in memory of her aunt Debbie who passed away from cancer 10 years ago.
The hairdresser who did the final shave was due to start chemotherapy for breast cancer on Monday making it an emotional event.
The Shearer family have been involved in the relay for eight years as the Debbie’s Blue Matilda’s and had more than 35 people walking over the weekend.
“Since she (Debbie) passed away we have been doing it and it is very emotional but we love it,” Kerri said.
“It is such a good event and we’ll keep doing it every year.”
