Paraparaumu man participates in Shave for a Cure in honour of family members

Mark Lyall will have his hair shaved off to raise money for children affected by blood cancer. Photo / David Haxton

Mark Lyall has been growing out his hair, including his facial hair, for about a year in preparation for Shave for a Cure.

Now, with less than two weeks until his shave day - which will be February 28 - he’s trying to raise as much money as he can for kids with cancer.

The money he raises will be going to Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand, and he will be completely shaving his head and his face, except for his eyebrows – which he has shaved before and wouldn’t do again.

It’s the third time he has participated, having raised $1000 the first time, and $600 the second, and he said he is quite looking forward to the shave – as he is tired of the long hair and looking forward to getting rid of it.

Mark, a resident of the Eldon Care Centre in Paraparaumu, is especially passionate about the cause as he lost his brother, Charlie, and father, Gordon, to cancer.

People have started donating money for Mark Lyall's upcoming Shave for a Cure extreme haircut. Photo / David Haxton

While his father died of prostate cancer, and his brother died of bladder cancer, Mark said: “I don’t care what cancer it is I sponsor – it all kills people”.

He also donates to various cancer charities, including the Breast Cancer Foundation and others.

Supporting cancer charities seems to run in Mark’s family too – with his other brother, David, having competed in the Walking Stars event in Wellington and won, raising more than $8000.

Mark has set a goal of $800 on his Shave for a Cure page, and has already had $170 in donations on there, along with between $70 and $80 donated via a jar on the front desk of the home.

You can donate here.

He said he’s not worried at all about shaving his head, because, inevitably, “it’s going to grow back”.