Minnie of Sweeney Todds gets ready to give Sergeant Peter Bast and his daughter Stephanie a close shave for Bluey Day. 22291 STEPHANIE Bast is nervous about losing her dark flowing locks, but at least she knows they will grow back.
The Narre Warren teenager and her father, Sergeant Peter Bast of Pakenham Police, will take the plunge later this month to shave their heads for Bluey Day.
For Stephanie, 15, shaving her head to help raise cash for sick children is something she has wanted to do for some time now.
But it wasn’t until recently that the Bast family was touched by cancer.
“It has hit close to home for us this year because a close friend has been diagnosed with leukaemia,” Sgt Bast said.
Sgt Bast said although Stephanie had wanted to take part in Shave for a Cure earlier this year, he also wanted to join in.
So he suggested Bluey Day.
Bluey Day is a time when police join with emergency services personnel to sacrifice their locks to raise cash for sick children.
It all started in 1995 in Horsham in country Victoria. Sgt Karl David started the appeal with what was then called crop-a-cop, because he wanted to raise money for children with cancer.
Since hair is the first thing to go when undergoing chemotherapy, Sgt David thought it would boost the kids’ moral to see a bald policeman.
Each police officer raised $1000 to shave the head, with 165 officers going bald for a cure.
Since then Bluey Day has grown to include emergency services members from not only Australia but Canada and America and has raised more than $20 million for sick and disadvantaged children.
Sgt Bast said he had always liked the ethos of Bluey Day.
“I’m doing it more to support Stephanie, but it’s a great cause too,” he said.
Stephanie said although she was nervous about losing her hair she was willing to sacrifice it for a good cause. “It will grow back, eventually,” she said.
The pair is now looking for sponsors and is hoping to raise at least $1000 each.
Anyone wanting to sponsor this father-daughter team can log onto www.blueyday.net.au and click ‘make a donation’ and type in their team number which is 16.
Stephanie and her father will shave their heads on 25 October at the PB Ronald Reserve, Pakenham.
