Style change for a friend

Lukas Murray admits he feels “very light” without his trademark long hair.

The Kingston Primary School Year 5 student lost his ponytail on Friday as part of a fundraiser inspired by his best friend Gracie Pritchard.

Gracie, who has overcome a rare type of cancer, had the honour of cutting Lukas’ 34cm ponytail before he showed off the finished product at a school assembly.

Lukas had been growing his hair for three years and said the new haircut reminded him of how it used to look.

“It feels a bit weird,” Lukas said.

“When I looked in the mirror, it was like looking back to Year 2.”

Lukas set an initial goal of raising $1500 for Ronald McDonald House, which he exceeded, and hoped to increase the total.

His hair will also be used to create a wig for a cancer patient.

Lukas plans to keep his hair short for the next year, hoping to be part of the school’s student executive and also participate in a Japanese culture exchange, but after 2017 and the end of his primary school days, he said the long hair would probably return.