Hair-raising Event With Hilary Barry Raised $43,000 For Charity

Hilary Barry helped to raise $43,000 for charity recently when she hosted a virtual event where 25 people decided to ‘Shave Live to Save Lives.’

"People came together to shave off their lockdown hair. It was a live online fundraiser for a wonderful cause supporting thousands of Kiwis with blood cancer," says Hilary Barry.

25 people went bald for charity representing many different locations far and wide across New Zealand-.

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 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 was pleased 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 did things a little differently which is exciting," says Hilary 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.

The money raised from Live Shave will go towards emotional and practical support for patients - as well as education, advocacy and investment in research to find a cure.

Live Shave was such a roaring success; it will become a regular event for LBC. While it might be over, for now, people can still participate in Shave for a Cure. 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. Learn more here https://shaveforacure.co.nz/

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

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