Locks clipped for cancer
Lauren Charlton has neatly tucked her long flaming red locks up under her hard hat for years, but recently they all hit the floor to raise money to support children with cancer and to be donated towards the creation of wigs.
Lauren Charlton has neatly tucked her long flaming red locks up under her hard hat for years, but recently they all hit the floor to raise money to support children with cancer and to be donated towards the creation of wigs.
Boral Queensland employee had 70 centimetres of hair reduced to a number two buzz cut during a function with friends and family in Brisbane in May.
The money raised, along with donations from her work colleagues, will be given to Redkite – an organisation that supports children, young people and their families through their cancer journey.
Her hair will be donated to Variety the Children’s Charity this month to be sold or made into wigs for those who have lost their hair.
“I have always had long hair and now I am able to use these luscious locks to help those that aren't able to grow their own or who have lost theirs due to illness,” Lauren said.
“I got married in March and I was going cut my hair, but thought ‘why no go the extra mile and cut it all off’.”
The drastic haircut was also in honour of her older sister Jacqui who passed away from bowel cancer in 2015 aged only 34 years, leaving two young children and a loving husband behind only five months after being diagnosed.
Although she was relieved to discover she had a well-rounded skull under all her hair, the new look did “surprisingly not” feel weird.
“But I touch my head a lot,” Lauren laughed. “I’m originally from Victoria so I’m happy to live in Queensland with this kind of hairstyle.”
Lauren joined Boral as a graduate in 2014, working in the concrete, asphalt and quarries businesses. She is now part of the project team as Implementation Co-ordinator at Ormeau Quarry, 50 kilometres south-east of Brisbane.
Lauren is hoping to raise more than $5000 for Redkite.
Donations are still welcome via her Redkite fundraising page.
Boral also helps support families across Australia as a major partner of Redkite’s financial assistance program, which provides practical assistance for household bills, food, petrol and educational expenses.