Every 26 minutes one Australian is told they have blood cancer. Each day 53 Australians are diagnosed with this disease.
But 31-year-old Brisbane hairdresser and barber, Michael Langanis hopes to lower this statistic by supporting the Leukaemia Foundation’s call to raise funds for blood cancer research.
The decision is personal as the family wanted to honour their beloved father and grandfather Dimitrios Kassapidis after he lost his fight with blood cancer in February 2014, aged 82.
This is the third time Michael and his family have supported the World’s Greatest Shave run by the Leukaemia Foundation. The first time Michael, then aged 18, decided to support the fundraising event, was a month after his grandfather passed away and the second event took place in 2022.
“After losing my grandfather to blood cancer, I felt strongly about supporting the Leukaemia Foundation,” Michael tells The Greek Herald.
“Taking part in the World’s Greatest Shave felt like a meaningful way to honour his memory and help raise awareness for the cause.”
Michael’s mother Koula is also on board behind the scenes, helping to raise awareness by running the social media campaign for the fundraising event on Saturday, March 28 at Laganis Studio in Teneriffe (Brisbane).
On the day, Michael will shave the head of his friend Daniel, who is on a working holiday from the United Kingdom.
“Daniel has been growing his hair for several years,” Michael said.
“When I commented on the length of his hair he mentioned he had been thinking about cutting it one day. I suggested he consider doing it as part of the World’s Greatest Shave campaign.”
This is the first time the event has been run in the salon. Family, friends and clients have been invited to witness the World’s Greatest Shave. Michael’s mum Koula is confident that their target of $5,000 will be reached.
“This is a bigger event this year,” Koula said.
“People know Michael through his salon, so we thought we would go all out this year. We have already raised $3,000 in ten days. It is the most we have raised.
“We are getting the story out (in the community) and people have been very generous. Donations raised will go directly to the Leukaemia Foundation as part of the World’s Greatest Shave campaign.”
The Leukaemia Foundation states that blood cancer is Australia’s hidden cancer crisis with 150,000 Australian families battling the disease.
Thousands of participants across Australia will take part in the World’s Greatest Shave raising funds to help research and to support services that provide accommodation, financial assistance and awareness. Although fundraising can be run anytime, March is the official time for school and community events.
Last year $600,000 was committed to five new research projects, 547 families were provided with 39,854 nights of accommodation, 1,879 families were provided with transport assistance and 866 families were given financial assistance.
Although it is called the World’s Greatest Shave, participants can opt to have their hair shaved, coloured or cut.
