Using mullets for good to raise research funds for the war on mental health
It might not be a school-sanctioned hairstyle but a group of St Patrick's College students and their mates are sporting mullets to help raise money for mental health.
Jack Sampi, Bailey Colligan, Lachlan Hubble, Darcy Cosgriff and and five other boys are taking part in the Black Dog Institute's Mullets for Mental Health campaign to raise money for mental health research.
The group is taking advantage of the relaxed school rules around haircuts during remote learning and using the flamboyant hairstyles to support an important cause.
"For me, mental health is something you can't talk enough about. The more it gets talked about the better, and this is a good, edgy reason," Jack said.
"Especially in quarantine when you can't have the usual ways to raise awareness, when this came up it's easy enough because all you need is a pair of clippers or access to a barber."
HAIR: Jack Sampi and Darcy Cosgriff model their new mullets to help raise funds for mental health. Picture: Adam Trafford
Jack and his friends have taken part in other mental health initiatives in previous years including Walking Off the War Within to raise awareness about post traumatic stress disorder.
"My life pretty much revolves around footy and routine and losing that, I can easily see how people can slump especially in times like we are in now."
Jack's initial goal was to raise $500 toward the Black Dog Institute's campaign, but he smashed that within three hours of opening the fundraising page and set a new goal of $1000. So far the group, dubbed Mo Money Mo Mullets have raised more than $4500.
"I'd seen footy players with mullets and wanted one and this was a good reason to get one," Jack laughed.
Being an Aboriginal Australian he said he had seen many family members fall victim to mental health, which was another reason to support the cause.
According to the Black Dog Institute, one in five Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year. And roughly 60 per cent of those people will not seek help.
The group started growing their hair two weeks ago and on September 1 styled them in to mullets which they will wear through until the end of September.
Ideally they would have got together to create the mullets, but with social distancing rules in force they took to social media and Snapchat to show off their hairstyles.
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Black Dog Institute fundraising manager Evan Jackson said 2020 was the year of the DIY home haircut so mullets for mental health made perfect sense.
"It's really to highlight what's on all of our minds and heads throughout Australia at the moment, our mental health," Mr Jackson said.
"We want everyone to get on board with this campaign, help us to raise funds for a good cause and put smiles back on the faces of the nation in doing so."
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