United by a tight bond, barbers stick together through thick and thin.
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That mentality was never more evident than when Ray I’u and his team of Ross C’s barbers threw their support behind a fellow barber they’d never met, Junee’s Sebastian McInerney, who began his fight against meningococcal septicaemia earlier this year.
Mr I’u and a handful of his colleagues will be on hand at Mr McInerney’s fundraiser early next month, offering haircuts to raise funds for the Junee youngster’s cause.
“There’s the fundraising part of it, but it’s more to let him know he’s not on his own, he has all these other barbers who’re looking out for him,” Mr I’u said.
“I knew of Seb, all of us barbers seem to know each other through a barber society page on Facebook.”
Close friend Jordan Walker said Mr McInerney had improved “leaps and bounds” since first falling ill in January and had been overwhelmed with community support.
“There’s been so much support, not just from charities and organisations but from families and friends too,” he said.
Mr Walker pointed to organisers selling out of raffle tickets more than a fortnight beforehand as a key indicator of the level of support behind Mr McInerney.
The Riverina Schoolboys Carnival, Junee Poker Run and GEO are among a long list of generous donors, while a Junee Correctional Centre inmate has raised money for the cause by shaving his head and holding a cheesecake drive.
The fundraiser is set for April 8 at 5pm at the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory and will feature jumping castles, Harley-Davidson rides and live entertainment by Social Hand Grenade.
The family has thanked the community for their ongoing support.