world’s greatest shave

A cut above

Pepper Money CEO and FBAA member Mario Reyahem has been named the top individual fundraiser in 2020 for Leukemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave, after showing he cares by shaving off his hair.

Raising an impressive $37,242 towards the World’s Greatest Shave in 2020, Pepper Money CEO Mario Reyahem willingly took the clippers to his hair in front of his North Sydney office-based team, and live streamed the head-shave to Pepper Money offices in Australia and New Zealand.

The World’s Greatest Shave is the Leukaemia Foundation’s primary fundraising campaign, raising funds and awareness to support Australians living with blood cancer. Each day, 41 Australians, of all ages, are diagnosed with blood cancer.

Mario’s fundraising achievement is enough to provide more than 900 families with emotional support to overcome the initial shock and stress of a blood cancer diagnosis, as well as funding a major blood cancer research project for more than three weeks and giving two families one week’s free accommodation when they have to travel from a region to a capital city for urgent blood cancer treatment.

To show his support for the 110,000 Australians currently living with blood cancer, as well as those within the Pepper family who have been affected by some form of cancer, Mario put out his fundraising campaign to the finance and property industry. Australian Finance Group (AFG), NextGen. Net, Better Mortgage Management and Resimac were among the companies to back Mario in his fundraising effort. Industry individuals also supported Mario, including Aussie CEO James Symond and NAB’s Bill Constantinidis.

Coming in a close second place in the individual fundraiser category for 2020 was Graham Mirabito, who raised $35,017 for World’s Greatest Shave 2020, his eleventh year involved in the fundraiser. Many FBAA brokers would recognise as former RP Data/CoreLogic International CEO who is now a board member for Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia.

Mario and Graham’s combined fundraising campaigns total $72,259, which is enough: • To provide 1800 families with emotional support to overcome the initial shock and stress of a blood cancer diagnosis; • To provide six months of research laboratory costs to help more people survice blood cancer and live their best life; and • To provide at least four regional families with one week’s free accommodation each when they must travel long distances from home for urgently needed blood cancer treatment in a capital city.

Over the past decade, incidence of blood cancer has grown by about 30%. Late last year, the Leukaemia Foundation released the State of the Nation: Blood Cancer in Australia report, which identified that by 2035 the incidence of blood cancer will more than double, from 110,000 Australians today to 275,000 in 2035.

Leukaemia Foundation General Manager of Supporters Rachael Lance congratulated all top fundraising individuals for their World’s Greatest Shave efforts.

“We know that blood cancer is a significant problem in Australia. It doesn’t discriminate, it can develop in anyone, of any age, in any territory and at any time. Unlike other cancers, there are no screening programs available and no way to prevent a blood cancer through lifestyle change,” says Rachael.

The Leukaemia Foundation is preparing for a shortfall in fundraising this year, with a number of community fundraising events being compromised or cancelled due to COVID-19. “Thank you to everyone who has already taken part and is continuing to participate in World’s Greatest Shave for your support and generosity. Your brave acts of shaving, cutting and colouring your hair make a significant difference to Australian men, women and children living with blood cancer,” offers Rachael. “Thank you for helping to ‘shave’ the world from blood cancer!”

To sign up for World's Greatest Shave 2021 or support someone who has, visit worldsgreatestshave.com.