JAXON Fitzwater and his blonde mullet have so far raised more than $1300 to support free mental health counselling for youth.
Jaxon Fitzwater’s decision to up the ante over his mullet haircut has silenced the critics and raised more than $1300 for the Blonde Mullet Brigade.
The 10-year-old didn’t know about the Blonde Mullet Brigade when he returned home from Te Kūiti Primary School, upset at the stick he was receiving from school mates over his new hairstyle.
But his dad, Ben Fitzwater, had heard about the Blonde Mullet Brigade on the radio and filled him in.
Blonde Mullet Brigade was inspired by Julian Moore who grew a blue mullet in 2022 raising funds for Mike King’s I Am Hope charity.
Mike then decided to start Blonde Mullet Brigade and get as many Kiwis as possible to grow a mullet this month – and dye them blonde – to support free mental health counselling for kids and youth via Gumboot Friday.
The Blonde Mullet Brigade are fundraising on Givealittle until September 3.
Jaxon tells how his schoolmates had pointed at him and called him names.
After he was made fun of, his parents offered to cut his mullet off, but Jaxon said “no”, he wanted to keep it.
So, mum Jan-Maree said they decided to give him an interesting home hair dye instead and make him part of the Blonde Mullet Brigade.
“It’s not a first. Jax is a big boy and he’s been given a bit of stick for that over the years,” Jan-Maree said.
“We’ve had a few issues over the years. He’s come out of himself. He’s stuck up for what he wanted, and we are really proud of him for that.”
Becoming part of the Blonde Mullet Brigade has successfully silenced his critics.
Jan-Maree said every day Jaxon went to school and told people how much money he had raised, his critics became quieter and quieter.
By yesterday, he had raised $1,335, far surpassing his original $100 goal.
Asked why he did it, Jaxon said: “Because I used to get bullied a lot by kids – just random reasons, and because I don’t like it that other kids get bullied. Some kids even hurt themselves because they are getting bullied, they have had enough of it.”
Jaxon’s Blonde Mullet Brigade Givealitle page is called Jaxon takes action.
