Primary students join Blackfriars Greatest Shave

Forget the mullet, for these Primary boys there’s a new buzz.

Next month, Year 6 students Reid Spratt, Antonio Zappia, Spencer Moore and Tom Hruska will be part of Blackfriars Greatest Shave.

If they can reach their $500 fundraising target, the Primary boys will join nine Secondary students and Head of Maths Joseph Burford in having their heads shaved in front of a whole-school assembly.

The boys were excited to be the first Primary School students to be part of Blackfriars Greatest Shave, now in its fourth year, supporting the palliative care work of The Mary Potter Foundation.

Reid Spratt, Antonio Zappia, Tom Hruska and Spencer Reid will be part of Blackfriars Greatest Shave.

Blackfriars Greatest Shave 2025 participants

Tom Hruska (Candler)
Spencer Moore (Spence)
Reid Spratt (Cussen)
Antonio Zappia (Dowling)
Nathan Bishop (Denifle)
Theodore Diamandi (Aquinas)
Evan Kavanagh (Jarrett)

Henry Kemp (Lacordaire)
Ty Kerslake (Horten)
Tighe McGinty (Lagrange)
Bailey Seiboth (Burke)
Joseph Burford (Head of Maths)
Hugh Caton (Deputy Head Prefect/Burke)
Eli Scharfbillig (Head Prefect/Denifle)

For Reid, the fundraiser had extra meaning. His mother’s parents, who passed away before Reid was born, both spent time in Mary Potter Hospice.

“I want to raise money for the The Mary Potter Foundation and help the people (in the hospice),” Reid said.

Antonio was proud to be part of the first group of Primary students to take part in Blackfriars Greatest Shave, although he wasn’t too sure what he would look like with a shaved head: “I used to have long hair, so this will be very different!”

Spencer is no stranger to fundraising, previously taking part in the Starlight Children’s Foundation GO BIG Challenge.

“I like raising money for the people who need it most,” he said.

Tom wanted to raise “heaps of money” to allow The Mary Potter Foundation to continue providing compassionate and meaningful end-of-life care.

Hugh Caton and Eli Scharfbillig with the Primary School Blackfriars Greatest Shave participants.

Donate to Blackfriars greatest shave here

School leaders join the cause

As well as the Primary boys, Head Prefect Eli Scharfbillig and Deputy Head Prefect Hugh Caton will brave the shave.

For Hugh, it was a cause close to his heart.

“My grandpa, Brian, had cancer and spent the last few weeks of his life in Mary Potter Hospice in 2020,” Hugh said.

“The staff there treated him so well and it brought some comfort to my family, especially my dad, knowing he was being so well looked after during that time.

“I’m really proud to be part of this year’s Greatest Shave and give something back to Mary Potter.”

The 2025 Prefect group aims to raise $12,000, adding to the more than $24,000 the school has donated to The Mary Potter Hospice since the inaugural Greatest Shave in 2021.