Leading the charge was 11-year-old James Cockshutt while Cooper Chalmers and Ruby Merritt also got in on the action.

James' mum Melinda said the kids all had a great time and raised just short of $18,000 for Tour de Cure.

"It was so exciting the kids wanted to give; they're really excited that the money is going somewhere good," she said.

"Cooper was only going to give 40-centimetres of his hair after he'd grown it for four years and then thought he'd go to a bob, but got rid of the lot.

"One other girl Ruby immediately started to grow her hair so she can do it all again next year; it shows the kids had a good time and they understand where it's all going."

The hair that was lopped will be donated to Sustainable Salons to create wigs for cancer patients.

It will also be used in the environment to help clean up oil spills in the ocean, helping to save marine life.

"A lot of them weren't going to go down to a one, but on the day they all got excited and all went right down to the wire," Mrs Cockshutt said.

Mrs Cockshutt will join a crew of around 100 riders in a ride from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour between March 28 and April 1 as part of the Tour de Cure.

The 930-kilometre route includes stops in the Hunter Valley and Muswellbrook along with Tamworth, Armidale, Grafton and Glen Innes after COVID-19 forced organisers to re-route the course.

It was originally set from Newcastle to Noosa.

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