The whole Burn family is sporting a new look this week, after fundraising efforts for the World’s Greatest Shave exceeded expectations.
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Jo Burn had vowed many years ago to take part in the annual Leukaemia Foundation charity initiative, and this year was her year.
When fundraising reached $10,000, she joked that for every additional $1000 she raised she would encourage a family member to brave the shave as well.
And her family were only too happy to oblige.
By the time Tuesday’s shave rolled around, more than $13,000 was raised.
It meant Jo got to share the barber’s chair with her husband Phil and sons Daniel and Mitchell - all now temporarily bald.
By Wednesday, the tally was $16,260 and donations are still being accepted.
Jo admits to being a bit emotional before Tuesday’s shave, but not because she was about to lose the long locks that took her five years to grow.
The simple gesture of shaving her head for charity brought up many raw memories - of their son Daniel’s own fight with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia from the age of three and the other children and families battling the disease.
Some of them did not survive.
“I was teary early in the day, thinking about all the connections with families and thinking about when Daniel was diagnosed and other families who would go through the same thing,” she said.
“We did livestream the shave, and we were joined by some family and close friends.
“They helped plait my hair so it could be donated afterwards, which did take a bit of time.”
The shave took place at Cooinda Hair Studio, which donated both the space and the time for the day.
Making the day special for the Burn family and their guests were What’s In The Box which provided grazing boxes, and Party Pack + Wrap which donated balloons and tableware for the feast.
And while packed with emotion, the family also took time to have some fun.
“We all got mullets half-way through the event and performed a reveal dance for our online supporters,” Jo said.
“We did an encore performance once everyone was shaved, to rapturous applause.
“I want to say a big thank you to those businesses for donating to the day, and to all our friends and those who donated,” Jo said.
“People are still able to donate through my link http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/joburn.”