9:00am Saturday 28th July 2012
By Chris Melvin
Clarendon College student Steve Revell has raised £800 for charity by shaving off his distinctive hair in memory of his father.
Steve, 18, had his mane shorn on Wednesday afternoon last week, at the school, watched by a large crowd.
The teenager, who before the shave was known as “Afro Steve”, said: “I’d had enough of it and said I was going to cut it off.
“One of my friends said, ‘Why not try and raise some money for charity?’ I thought, ‘Yeah, I can do that’, and it’s obviously paid off.
“Quite a lot of people turned up to watch and I raised quite a bit of money, which I’m pleased about.
“We’ve still got some to come in, but from the school we’ve raised just over £300 and, in total so far, about £800, which I’m really happy about.“
Money will be split between Dorothy House Hospice and Hammer Out, a brain tumour support charity based in the south west.
Five years ago Steve’s father, Dave, died from a brain tumour after 11 years battling the disease.
He said: “I picked the two charities because he died at Dorothy House from a brain tumour. I’ve had my hair for about seven years and people know me quite well because of it. I’m instantly recognisable.”
About 100 people, including teachers and pupils, watched in the sports hall as the three highest sponsorship donors were given the chance to wield the razor.
He said: “It was quite an odd experience. I could just see big chunks of hair coming down and I thought, ‘Why am I doing this?’ I just tried to make myself feel better by joking around with my friends who were doing it.
“It feels really weird; just really different. I’m reasonably happy with it.”
For sponsorship, visit www.justgiving.com/Stephen
-Revell-Dorothy-House or www.justgiving.com/stephen
-revell-hammer-out
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