Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ
Hilary Barry is hosting a new virtual charity event on June 6th where 25 people will Shave Live to save lives.
“Men and women from all over New Zealand are coming together to shave off their lockdown hair. It’s a live online fundraiser for a wonderful cause supporting thousands of Kiwis with blood cancer,” says Hilary Barry.
Shave Live is part of the iconic Shave for a Cure fundraising event by Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC). The Covid-19 environment forced the cancellation of their usual fundraising events creating a gaping hole in their income.
“We were facing a 70% revenue loss because of Covid-19 – so it was sink or swim for many charities like us. We made a conscious decision to innovate and change the way we do things. This includes moving fundraising events online such as this Live Shave. Organisations need to think quickly and become agile to survive the new normal the virus has created,” says Peter Fergusson, CEO of LBC.
Hilary is excited to be involved in the first-ever mass shave event streaming online for the charity.
“I’ve been involved in Shave for a Cure for a number of years and enjoy getting on the clippers, with varying degrees of success. But this year because of Covid we’re having to do things a little differently which is exciting,” says Hillary Barry
LBC provides support services to ease the burden that blood cancer patients face. Being in lockdown posed challenges, but the organisation took it their stride by adapting to a new approach.
“Our team worked around-the-clock, through all alert levels changing the way we do things. We were determined to maximise the care and support we offered regardless of Covid-19 barriers. Support groups moved online, and we live-streamed online patient Q&A sessions with health professionals. We increased the help we give to the most vulnerable patients by keeping in close contact by phone, text, and online. We changed the format of the annual patient conference to an online symposium,” says Peter Fergusson.
Live Shave includes participants spin the Shave Wheel of Fun to choose their crazy shave style. There are loads of unimissable Shave antics. You can watch, donate and celebrate the brave online shaves! Tune in to Live Shave, 3pm on Saturday 6th of June at https://www.facebook.com/LBCNZ.
Live Shave is transforming into a roaring success; so much it will become an annual event for LBC. Hilary has some tips for people keen to get into the action.
“I encourage anyone to sign up to Shave for a Cure – it runs all year round. It’s a fantastic way to show your support for blood cancer patients. What better way to get a new lid than to raise money for charity at the same time. And if its a disaster, don’t worry, it’ll always grow back! If you’re too shy to shave you can always donate,” says Hilary.
About Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand: Every day, six kiwi’s will discover they have a blood cancer such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma. Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) is the national charity dedicated to supporting them. The organisation aims to ease the emotional and practical burden carried by patients and invests in research to find a cure. With no direct government funding, fundraising is essential to allow LBCs life-changing work to continue. Thanks for your support and for caring about blood cancer patients as much as we do. Charity # CC24498
