Bad Hair Day? Shave, cut, or colour it for the World’s Greatest Shave

What is the World’s Greatest Shave?

Each year, thousands of Aussies do something bold, funny, a little bit cheeky — and seriously meaningful. 

They lop off, trim back, shave down or splash their hair with bright colours as part of the World’s Greatest Shave — Australia’s iconic fundraiser for blood cancer.

Started more than 25 years ago, this event brings together mates, families, schools, workplaces and communities to raise funds and awareness for people living with blood cancers. 

You don’t need to have personal experience of cancer to join — many people do it just to make a difference, have some fun, and support others. Register and you choose when you do it.

Whether you shave your head, whack on a rainbow of hair dye, or get a funky haircut, your contribution helps Australians facing the toughest fight of their lives.

How can you participate in the World’s Greatest Shave?

Participation is open to everyone — from students to grandparents, CEOs to hairdressers. The basic idea is simple:

• Sign up through the official World’s Greatest Shave website.
• Decide how you want to take part — shave, cut, colour or even donate your hair.
• Raise funds from friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to support the cause.

You can host an event at home, at work, at school, or even at your local pub or park. Some people turn it into a big day with barbecues, music and games — all for charity.

Fun fact: Your donated hair can also be repurposed — for example, into wigs and even recycling uses like helping clean up oil spills.

Where does the money go?

Every dollar raised goes straight toward making life better for people affected by blood cancers. That means it helps fund:

• Life-changing support services — like counselling, transport to and from appointments, accommodation close to treatment centres, financial help and peer support.
• Ground-breaking research — into better treatments, faster diagnoses and, one day, maybe a cure.
• Advocacy and policy work — so health services become fairer and more effective for everyone.

This mix of care and research gives patients and families practical help when they need it most, and also fuels the science that could save more lives tomorrow.

What is the Leukaemia Foundation?

The Leukaemia Foundation is the charity behind the World’s Greatest Shave — and one of Australia’s biggest backers of blood cancer support. March is the month we bring cancer to the forefront in Australia. The Cancer Council has the March Charge and it’s Melanoma month as well.

For more than four decades, this Brisbane-based organisation has backed Aussies with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood disorders.

They’re not just about funding research. They also deliver “wrap-around” care: emotional support, transport and accommodation help, nutrition and wellbeing advice, support groups and more — all designed to make the cancer journey a bit less brutal for patients and their families.

The Foundation also champions better healthcare policies and broader access to cutting-edge treatments across the country.Their big, ambitious goal? To see zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035 — a vision that guides much of the fundraising, research and advocacy work they do.

What impact does the World’s Greatest Shave have?

Let’s be honest — shaving your head might not cure cancer on the spot. But the impact of this annual event is huge and deeply meaningful.

Since it began in the late 1990s, the World’s Greatest Shave has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for blood cancer care and research.

Those funds help pay for transport to medical appointments, accommodation when treatment is far from home, emotional and psychological support, and essential financial assistance.

On the research front, every dollar helps fund scientists and clinicians working on better diagnostics and treatments — projects that can improve survival odds and quality of life.

What’s more, raising awareness matters too. Every colourful head and every gone-to-the-skin shave sparks conversations about blood cancer — a disease many Australians don’t realise affects thousands of people every year.

What Is blood cancer?

Blood cancer isn’t just one disease — it’s a group of cancers that affect the body’s blood-forming tissues, like the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. Types include leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

In Australia, thousands are diagnosed every year — and this number is rising. Around 5,300 new cases of leukaemia were expected last year alone.

Blood cancers together account for an estimated 20,000 diagnoses a year in Australia, making them one of the most common cancer groups.

Leukaemia by itself makes up around 3 percent of all new cancer cases but it’s a serious condition that affects both adults and children.

There’s some good news: survival rates have improved over time. For people diagnosed with leukaemia between 2017 and 2021, about 66 percent survived at least five years after diagnosis — up from 43 percent in the late 1980s.

Despite better treatments and outcomes, the journey is still incredibly challenging — emotionally, physically and financially — which is why community support and fundraising matter so much.

Why it matters

At its heart, the World’s Greatest Shave is more than a fundraiser — it’s a sign of solidarity. Every shaved head, every splash of colour and every dollar raised says: “I see you, and I’m in your corner.”

For Aussies touched by blood cancer — whether personally or through a loved one — that support can make all the difference.

So this March, turn your bad hair day, into a life changing opportunity.

A big shout out to those who have done the World’s Greatest Shave in the past. Thank you!

Local Services and Ways to Connect 

If you or someone you know is affected by blood cancer, help is available.

Support and Health Services

• Central Coast Cancer Centre – A key hub for cancer care coordination on the Central Coast, offering information and support through diagnosis and treatment.
• Cancer Council NSW Central Coast – Part of the broader Cancer Council network, providing information, support and referral to services.
• Wyong Hospital Cancer Care Unit – Specialist cancer care services within the public hospital system.
• Central Coast Haematology – Local haematology specialists who can support diagnosis and medical care.
• Icon Cancer Centre Gosford – Private cancer treatment centre providing chemotherapy and supportive services.
• Lifeblood Gosford Donor Centre – Blood donation centre where local community members can give blood and support broader health needs, including for people affected by blood cancers.
• Cancer Rehabilitation & Lymphatic Solutions – Offers rehabilitation and supportive care.

In addition to clinical care, Central Coast patients and families can access broader wellbeing programs such as CoastCanCare, which offers group wellness activities like art and physiotherapy designed to support people living with cancer and their carers.

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Links and References

• World’s Greatest Shave official site: https://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/
• Leukaemia Foundation: https://www.leukaemia.org.au/
• Leukaemia Foundation Fundraising Ideas & Event Info: https://fundraise.leukaemia.org.au/
• Cancer Australia https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/cancer-types/leukaemia/leukaemia-australia-statistics

CoastCanCare cancer wellbeing program: https://www.cclhd.health.nsw.gov.au/services/central-coast-cancer-services/cancer-services/coastcancare/

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This article is general in nature and shouldn’t be considered as personal medical advice. Please consult your doctor for medical advice that’s right for you.