Denis Catanzariti removed Fred’s moustache – for the first time in decades. Photos: Supplied.
There were tears, laughter, purple hair, missing moustaches and plenty of very short hair – all in the name of a Griffith teenager who left an enormous mark on his community.
Almost 300 people packed into a Griffith celebration to remember 13-year-old go-karter Joseph Bianchini, with family, friends and schoolmates raising more than $70,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation through a massive World’s Greatest Shave event.
Joseph died suddenly from an illness in August 2025, at just 13 years of age.
His death was a devastating second tragedy for the Bianchini family, who had lost another Joseph – his uncle – in a road crash in 2003 when he was just 15.
The younger Joseph had been named after his uncle and had gone on to forge his own legacy, becoming a talented go-karter who raced internationally and was regarded as one of the sport’s rising young stars.
For his family, marking the first anniversary of his death could have been a sombre occasion.
Renee says her dad Fred is now unrecognisable.
Instead, they decided to do something very Joseph.
“We wanted to do something that was a bit memorable, not so sad,” Joseph’s aunt Renee said.
And so the clippers came out.
What started with five people signing up for the World’s Greatest Shave quickly snowballed.
Twenty-seven people registered to shave their heads, partially shave or colour their hair – and then another eight people joined in on the night.
Some had been growing their hair since March specifically for the event.
“There was a lot of hair,” Renee said.
Joseph’s sister Alegra dyed her hair purple, four of his cousins shaved their heads and so did many of his schoolmates and friends from the go-karting community.
“There were also friends of my kids who didn’t know Joseph, but wanted to support our kids with the Greatest,” Renee said.
Michella Sergi got creative when shaving Rocco Furore.
Then came the dares.
Frank Scarfoni’s children donated $8000 for him to shave off his goatee.
And in one of the night’s most dramatic transformations, Joseph’s grandfather Fred – who had worn his moustache for 45 years – finally parted with it.
“It’s quite strange seeing him without it,” Renee said.
The event was hosted by Fred and Joseph’s grandmother Rosanne and became less of a fundraiser and more of a celebration of a young boy whose life had brought people together.
The money raised will go to the Leukaemia Foundation, which runs the World’s Greatest Shave to support Australians affected by blood cancer.
The Leukaemia Foundation provides accommodation for eligible regional, rural and remote patients and their families who have to travel to major cities for treatment, including free accommodation in its Blood Cancer Centres where eligibility requirements are met.
A huge crowd got behind the cause.
Renee said the Bianchini family had experienced that support first-hand and wanted to give something back.
“Last year we raised more than $150,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation and this year the kids wanted to do the Great Shave,” she said.
“We raised over $70,000 to support the patients and families who suffer from leukaemia, and some also goes into research.”
Mum and Dad Adrian and Maria with their son Joseph before his tragic death. Photo: supplied.
Renee said Joseph would not have wanted his family and friends to spend his anniversary sitting in sadness.
“He was such a generous kid,” she said.
“He passed away on his mum’s birthday. He wouldn’t have wanted us to be sad.
“We made it a night that remembered his legacy and we did it in a way that we were all happy and spread the generosity he would want us to do.”
For one night, Joseph’s family didn’t gather to mourn what they had lost.
They gathered to celebrate what he left behind.
And by the end of it, Griffith had shaved, laughed, donated and raised more than $70,000 in his name.
Donations for the Joseph Bianchini Greatest Shave can also be made online.
