Doug Nicol will be needing a whole lot of sunblock for his sailing adventure through the Pacific after he lost his hair and beard to help raise $4100 for Special Olympics Whangarei.
Mr Nicol has been the face of a local campaign to help get 38 intellectually disabled Northlanders tothe national Special Olympics games in Dunedin.
The man known affectionately as the Pirate agreed to shave his hair and his beard, which have not been shaved since the 1970s, if $5000 was raised before he set sail for Tonga on Tuesday.
Martin Barrie, president of Special Olympics Whangarei, was feeling nervous the money would not be raised in time until Northlink Health, the leading healthcare providers for intellectually disabled people, pledged $1200 to the cause.
Mr Barrie said he was grateful for Mr Nicol offering up his locks to support the cause, despite not quite making the $5000 target.
"He's been exceptional, for him to come forward and offer this has been fantastic."
Virtually unrecognisable after the shave, Mr Nicol said he would be cold at sea and he still had not got hold of enough sunblock to keep his newly bare skin protected while on the high seas.
Mr Nicol worked for Idea Services, finding housing and assisting intellectually disabled people, and knows many of the athletes personally.
Nadia Morgan, 26, will be travelling to Dunedin to compete in soccer and swimming, and said playing the sports was important to keep her fit. It also helped her meet other intellectually disabled people from around Northland.
Mr Barrie said the amount of money raised had blown him away, and he appreciated knowing the next deposit to get the athletes to the games was taken care of by generous locals.
Competing at the games was important to the athletes, he said,
"It gives them the opportunity to thrive, to learn the disappointment of losing and the joy of winning. It gives them self-confidence, and a public presence, to say 'look, we're doing something here'."
Mr Barrie is finalising the next fundraiser, a rubber duck race down Hatea River, set to happen on August 10. People can buy a rubber duck for $5 with the winning duck scoring a weekend getaway to Rotorua. Call Martin Barrie on 021 118 2422 for further details.
