By Michael Doran
Roland Sturt has had a beard for more than 50 years but is about to lose it, albeit for a good cause.
The Yarra Valley Cancer Support Group is having a ‘hair today, gone tomorrow’ event at the Draught Horse and YesterYear Festival at Mont de Lancey on 24-25 November.
The group meets every Tuesday at the Old Baptist Church in Wandin from 10am to 1pm. Their meeting place is ‘Judy’s drop-in centre’, named after Roland’s wife, Judy, who passed away from cancer.
The group was started by Judy McGrath and Agnes Jones and is open to anyone who has been touched by cancer.
“We like to help anyone we can, be they patients, spouses, siblings, carers or whatever,” she said. “Roland said he would shave off his beard and then George and Peter joined in, all to raise money.”
Joining Roland are George Edwards and Peter Hawkey, but there is a reserve in the wings if any of the three get cold feet.
“If any of the blokes chicken out, I will do it, and probably raise more money than them anyway,” Judy McGrath said.
The group started out as Ladies in Pink in 2008 but changed to their current name as they welcomed more men into their fold.
“People don’t have to join up or anything, they can just drop in for a chat with others who are living with the experience of cancer,” Ms. Jones said.
“We also run a respite house in Powelltown, which is open for holidays to anyone affected by cancer,”.
The house, Heather’s Haven, commemorates a local woman lost to breast cancer and can be booked through the group or Cancer Council Victoria’s Holiday Break Program.
“Our local hairdresser, Angelo, has volunteered to do the haircuts and shave so the boys are in good hands.”
“All we need now is for people to come along, see the shave and donate,” Ms. Jones said. She can be contacted on 0418 125 762 for any further info.
