By Marcus Uhe
Tooradin children Koby (10-years-old) and Taj (Eight) McLoed have raised more than $3500 for the Cancer Council after deciding to shave their ‘iso-mullets’ on Wednesday 6 April.
The McLoed’s have a personal connection to the Allan family, formerly from Tooradin, responsible for the Team Bella fundraising campaign, in tribute to Bella Allan who lost her long-term battle with leukaemia as a 13-year-old in February.
The big haircut took place at the Tooradin Junior Football Club with the boys receiving donations from across the globe, including from members of their mother’s family in New Zealand and from family friends in London.
The children’s mother Angela McLoed said their final tally has drastically exceeded their own expectations.
“We started with a target of $500 a week ago and they thought that would be amazing,” Ms McLoed said on Thursday 7 April, the day after the shave.
“We’ve had to keep increasing it.
“Every time I show them the tally, they say ‘wow!’
“They can’t fathom how it happens.”
While she was “ridiculously proud” of the boys for their efforts, Ms McLoed conceded that she had another personal stake in the matter.
“As parents we were just excited about the fact they were getting rid of the dreaded ‘iso-mullets’,” Ms McLoed admitted.
“I may have pushed the cause more than I should have.
“They haven’t wanted to cut them off until now.”
While they might be self-conscious about their new look, the boys are clearly aware that what they’re doing is for the greater-good.
“They’ve talked about kids making fun of them at school because of their shaved head,” Ms McLoed said.
“They said their comeback will be, ‘At least I’ve saved someone’s life.’”
Their fundraising page will remain open for members of the public to contribute to.
To donate to the boys’ initiative head to fundraising.cancervic.org.au/fundraisers/kobymcleod/koby—taj-are-shaving-their-mullets-to-help-kids-with-cancer-?fbclid=IwAR1nMrrL_TmPJGnGmi–g6VBePX9CHx3rhR3Eq0U16J_ybbIjRvYvmSazB8
