Paparore School kid shaves for a special friend

Oscar Parlour prepares to sport his new look after Thursday's Shave for a Cure, with his supporters Tawa Frape, older brother Daithi and Leyton Petricevich.

Eight-year-old Oscar Parlour was very fond of his curls, but didn't hesitate to shed them last week in support of a very special friend.\

The Paparore School pupil, son of James and Yvette Parlour, lined up with six others at Farmers' in Kaitaia on Thursday to support this year's Shave for a Cure appeal, contributing $1000 that he had raised.

Oscar Parlour before losing his curls, which he hopes will return one day.

Ms Parlour said the youngest of her three sons had wanted to do something to support his friend, Vince Rudolph, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and it didn't stop at Thursday's shave. When he celebrated his birthday recently he invited his guests to donate to the cause rather than buying gifts, raising another $250.

Oscar was quite taken with his new look, she said, and was planning to maintain it for a while, although he had expressed the hope that one day his curls would return.
"He certainly had plenty of hair to give. He clogged the clippers," she said.

His brothers had not been keen to make the same sacrifice, but he was supported on the day by one of them and a couple of school mates.

FTC manager Chris Cargill said yesterday that the final figure from last week's fundraiser was not yet known, but it had been a very successful day, thanks to an always generous community.