Russell girl Ruby Tauri donates hair for cancer patients

Nine-year-old Russell girl Ruby Tauri had hoped to grow 37cm of hair and raise $100 for cancer after her aunt and a young neighbour were both diagnosed with cancer.

She did rather better than that. By the time the scissors homed in on her at the Russell Hair Co on Friday she had 42cm of thick brown hair, leaving a short bob to wear home, and had raised $2264.28.

The money will be donated to the Child Cancer Foundation, while her locks were posted to Freedom Hair, a wig-making company in Dunedin.

Proud mum Laura Tauri said Ruby had been "completely blown away" by the support she had received from her extended family and the Northland community, Ruby saying she had simply wanted to help people and make them happy.