Seamus Barrett raises over $15,000 for Black Dog Institute

But if the Dubbo community has raised over $15,000 to see it happen, you have to keep your word.

Such was the situation Dubbo local Seamus Barrett found himself in when he shed more than just the hair on his head and face, for mental health resources.

The anaesthetist shaved off his long hair and stylish moustache, and also waxed his legs, in front of a crowd of supporters on Saturday to raise money for the Black Dog Institute.

Friends and family from as far away as Newcastle gathered at the Monkey Bar in Dubbo to witness the hair-brained pursuit, which raised money to fund mental health programs in schools.

Colleagues from the local hospital and GP practice that Mr Barrett works at also watched the shave.

"It was lovely to have such a great turnout," Mr Barrett said.

"Things would have been a lot smoother to do the head shave at the start of autumn like we originally planned rather than when we're getting closer to zero degrees, but it just means I'm spending a lot of time sporting a beanie now."

At time of publication, Mr Barrett had raised $15,606, exceeding his goal of $15,000. Part-way through his fundraising journey, the Black Dog Institute got in contact to say that he had raised enough to fund mental health programs at 10 high schools, reaching 2400 students.

READ ALSO:

After COVID-19 postponed the original shave - twice - Mr Barrett promised his followers that if he reached $15,000 then he'd also wax his legs.

"It's not something I'm going to add to my regular cosmetic routine, but a promise is a promise and I'm so blown away with the amount that people raised. I could not believe it," he said.

Mr Barrett wanted to raise money for the Black Dog Institute because he saw on a daily basis - through work and life - the "huge burden" mental health carried in rural areas.

"I thought it was such an important thing to raise funds and improve access and raise awareness, so people know they can reach out and get support," he said.

"There is help available. The Black Dog Institute has so many free online resources for people.

"These days most of us have been impacted one way or another, personally or through our loved ones. There's no reason for people to struggle alone."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: