Murray Bridge locals shave, cut, colour and stand together for a cause
An event at the city's RSL has raised thousands of dollars for an anti-domestic violence initiative.
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More than 100 people have attended a fundraiser for domestic violence survivors at Murray Bridge RSL on Wednesday night.
The Shave, Cut, Colour, Stand Together event was organised by the president of the Rotary Club of Mobilong, Ann-Marie Kuchel.
In all, $5000 was raised on the night, with all proceeds going to local anti-domestic violence initiative Kai's Run for DV.
Attendees could opt to have their heads shaved or show their support by having their hair dyed blue.
Some impressive individual totals came from the supporters of Warren Pratt, who raised $500; the group sponsoring the president of the Rotary Club of Murray Bridge, Roxanne Rowland, to go blue, with $500 donated; and the supporters of Gordon Schultz who added a further $182 to the total.
Among all the fun, there was a very serious message.
In Australia, one in four women and one in seven men experience partner violence or abuse during their lifetime.
In 2026, the Murray Bridge council area is consistently recording an average of three domestic or family violence reports to SA Police every day, which is 62.8 per cent higher than the state average.
Around 20% of these crimes are alcohol related and the perpetrators are mostly males.
Survivors, regardless of age or gender, need ongoing professional and community support to process their trauma and escape what can be a relentless cycle of abuse.
Locals events like Stand, Cut, Colour, Stand Together and the annual domestic and family violence vigil in May at the Place of Courage remind us that this scourge isn't going away anytime soon.
Thanks went to Murray Bridge RSL, whose chef, Matt Kidziak, joined the party and opted for a blue barnet and beard ensemble; and to hairdressers Kerryn Mundy and Trish David, who came armed with scissors, shavers and lots of cans of blue hairspray.
- Donate: www.mycause.com.au.
- Get help: Visit the Haven at Murray Bridge Community Centre between 9am and 4pm on weekdays, or the DVINA Centre at 1 Standen Street, Murray Bridge; call the Domestic Violence Crisis Line on 1800 737 732, or Murray Mallee Adelaide Hills Domestic Violence Service on 8228 8960; or, in an emergency, dial 000.
