Waiopehu College student raises $1600 for cancer by shaving her locks

Waiopehu College student Elli Guilford.

A Waiopehu College student blessed with beautiful long hair had it all chopped to raise money for cancer research.

Elli Guilford raised more than $1600 in sponsorship by having her head shaved last week, with almost half the school watching on as her long locks were lopped off.

Waiopehu College student Elli Guilford.

First, her pigtails were cut off one by one, falling onto her lap, before hairdresser Deborah Thomas brought out the the clippers to finish the job.

Guilford had a purpose, and that was the memory of her late Nana who died last year with cancer.

Waiopehu College student Elli Guilford.

"She didn't have a choice whether she lost her hair or not. It's a way of supporting people who don't have a choice," she said.

Guilford was joined by more than 20 other students, and some teachers, that took the chair,
volunteering to have their heads shaved as part of a fundraiser for Shave For a Cure for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.

Waiopehu College student Elli Guilford.

Waiopehu School principal Mark Robinson, who is bald and couldn't participate, wore a wig and tartan cap instead, while other students sported crazy hair or wigs to show their support.

Waiopehu College principal Mark Robinson wore hair, as opposed to shaving his.

Robinson said he was astonished at the amount of money raised. There was also a fundraising sausage sizzle nearby, with students manning the barbeque struggling to keep up with the demand.

Deborah Thomas puts the finishing touches on Waiopehu College student Elli Guilford's new hair style. Guildford raised more than $1600 on her own.