A Chambers Flat girl has raised more than $3000 for charity on a poignant and emotional day for she and her family.
Nine-year-old Caitlyn Arnold lost 60cm of her hair for the Variety fundraiser in memory of her late sister Sophie.
She had the locks lopped off at Pernickety Ladies and Gents Salon in Jimboomba on Monday.
COVID-19 restrictions meant the family were not able to conduct the cut on what would have been Sophie's 21st birthday, April 15.
But Monday's date was still special and emotional. It was 18 years to the day since Sophie died, aged three, of neuroblastoma.
Family and friends travelled from as far as Chinchilla for the day.
Caitlyn's brother Stephen and his girlfriend Hannah, and parents Jode and Mark, took turns to cut sections of her hair.
A cousin of Mrs Arnold, who used to babysit the children, also cut some of Caitlyn's hair.
Mrs Arnold said it was an emotional day for the family, but she was proud of what her daughter had achieved.
"As much as everyone had tears in their eyes - everyone was crying - it was still a good day," she said.
"Something positive came from it."
Caitlyn had 50cm of hair taken from the sides and 60cm from the back in just the second haircut she has had in her life.
"It is way shorter than we expected it to be," Mrs Arnold said.
"She did have tears during the cut. It was quite emotional."
Her hair has been sent to St Leonards in Sydney to make wigs for cancer patients.
Each wig costs about $6000, and Caitlyn has also raised about $3500 cash for the cause.
A planned party after the event had to be cancelled, but Caitlyn had visitors at the family home in the afternoon, while complying with COVID-19 restrictions.
"We had some family over at lunchtime, and some of Caitlyn's friends came over in the afternoon," Mrs Arnold said.
"It was lovely."
Mrs Arnold thanked Pernickety owner Angelique Lammerts-Hartjes and staff member Sophie Evans for opening on the shop's usual closed day for the cut.
Variety was founded in 1928, and named after a club in Pittsburgh where a baby girl was abandoned on the doorstep one night, with a note asking those who frequented it to look after her.
The charity's Australian arm was established in Sydney in 1975.
Read more local news here