Beard comes off in father’s memory

A cheeky challenge at a swimming carnival turned into a serious commitment to a cause for one Karratha teacher, who recently put his beard at the mercy of the scissors.

Karratha Senior High School English teacher James Brito shaved off his three-inch-long beard on the last day of term to raise money and awareness for the Lung Foundation Australia.

Mr Brito said he had originally agreed to shave off the beard if his faction won the swimming carnival, which it did, but later decided to use it in memory of his father, who died from lung cancer a year ago despite barely smoking in his lifetime.

“There’s not enough awareness of lung cancer, especially when it’s actually the most deadly cancer of all the cancers,” he said.

“It’s about de-stigmatising some of the negative associations with that disease, that it’s not just caused by smoking.

“It’s not for one demographic.”

Mr Brito had raised more than $1000 of his $1500 target at time of print, with more expected to come.

He thanked the school for supporting him, including several students who had donated $100 each.

You can donate to Mr Brito’s campaign by going to www.mycause.com.au and looking up James Brito.