By GARRY HOWE
BRAD Waterhouse was trying to explain the care and character behind the extraordinary turnout at Maryknoll Recreation Reserve on Saturday to support him in his cancer fight in the Going Bald for Brad head-shave event.
It was not his intention, but it was like he was describing himself.
He said Maryknoll, where he has lived for the past 16 years, was a town like no other – chock-full of community spirit, and the fire brigade community, the other cohort well represented, was so adept at turning out to help others.
“These are the sort of people who don’t blink an eyelid about being woken up at 2am for a call to help a stranger,” he reasoned.
As the former Maryknoll CFA Captain, Brad is immersed in both communities. He could be a poster boy for both, which is probably why so many turned out to support him on Saturday.
Twenty-six people came forward to have their heads shaved in the event, organised by a group of friends, which raised in excess of $30,000.
Among those were mother and daughter Mam and Claire Templeton.
Claire, an agricultural studies student who has had long flowing hair as long as she can remember, shed a tear as her ponytail came off. It will now hang in a shearing shed in Junee to satisfy a donation from the boss.
Mam has to get accustomed to not having a fringe for the first time in decades. Her brother, Greg Noonan, took the stage at the same time and lost his eyebrows as well, thanks to a $200 pledge from the crowd.
Next up it was Brad’s parents Keith and Meryl Waterhouse, who sat alongside his long-time mate Ally Coombs and his godson Euan Poulton.
Brad took the shears himself to give Euan’s mop the full treatment.
He was so thankful to Ally and Claire for their sacrifice.
“It’s not so bad for us blokes, but for the girls to shave their heads is a real effort.”
Brad was 12 weeks into his chemotherapy treatment yesterday.
“I’m halfway there,” he smiled.
After that he will have an operation to remove the tumour from his liver.
Mum Meryl was in awe of the turnout on Saturday.
“He’s a popular lad, but what a great community they have there in Maryknoll,” she said.
