The recent passing of Mount Maunganui College teacher Allan Mundy's 11-year-old son Harrison has encouraged 20 of the school's Year 13 students to shave their heads for child cancer.

Harrison lost his battle to Ewing's Sarcoma – a rare form of cancer that grows in the bones - on February 16, 2014 almost nine months after he was diagnosed.

A Mount Maunganui College student shaves his head to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation. Photos: Chris Callanan

In honour of Harrison and late student Jed Roberts, who passed away following a 19-month long battle with Leukaemia in 2011, the college hosted a head shave in the school hall where students bid for the right to shave one of their 20 fellow pupils' heads.

'I guess it re-highlighted that cancer is the real thing and I guess it sparked us to do something for other kids in the community as well,” says head boy Ben Cochrane.

'Especially with everyone who went to the funeral, it just shows how you've got to live every day. I think it just highlights that you've got to treat every day as it comes and I guess it will be a bit of a fun edge to get other people to shave their heads.”

Ben says one girl and 19 boys were expected to shave their heads today. He says the school hopes to raise $2,500 with all proceeds going to Child Cancer Foundation.