Hair raising New Year plan

South Wairarapa District Council employee Mark Allingham is planning to be the first person in 2016 to shave his locks off for Shave for a Cure, taking advantage of New Zealand being one of the first

Shave for a Cure participant Mark Allingham is planning to be the first person in the world to shave his locks off in 2016 for Shave for a Cure.

The South Wairarapa District Council infrastructure and services manager said he is taking advantage of New Zealand being one of the first countries in the world to see the dawn by shaving his head at midnight to raise money and awareness for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand.

He will see in the new year with a pair of clippers and his three sons, who will help chop off the hair their father has been growing for the past year-and-a-half.

Mr Allingham, an ex-army man, is used to having a short cut, but this is not the first time he has grown his curls out to raise money for a good cause.

When he lived in Australia he and his friends would grow their hair and beards, collect donations and Shave for a Cure, each letting one lucky donor choose the type of cut they would wear for the first week before taking it completely off.

"Once I had a shaved head except for a square patch left in the back which was plaited. Another time I had a reversed mohawk."

The Carterton resident said he tries to raise money for different causes a few times each year.

"For me it's because of my heart stuff.

"My heart used to stop every now and then and it makes you aware that you can help out and raise awareness about health and community issues."

Mr Allingham, now in his mid-40s, had to get a pacemaker fitted when he was 37 after his heart kept stopping and he said his family had even seen him come back from the dead.

"Shaving your head is nothing. There're people in the community who do a lot more -- like the volunteer fire men. And look at some of the community groups -- what they do is awesome."

For Mr Allingham, it was important he set examples of helping others for his sons, Liam, 15, Michael, 14, and James, 10, who would help with reaching the fundraising goal of $1000.

He had been inspired to re-grow his hair after being in a car accident over a year ago.

"It gave me a wake up to start doing something that could help someone else."

To sponsor Mr Allingham's New Year's shave go to www.shaveforacure.co.nz and click on search for a shavee.