By Julia Pierce ’17
Staff Writer
Looking for a unique way to raise awareness for cancer? If yes, then No-Shave November is the perfect cause.
According to No-Shave November’s website, No-Shave November is a 30-day challenge that involves no shaving or grooming during the month of November. The purpose of this challenge is to embrace the natural flow of one’s hair, which countless numbers of cancer patients lose during chemotherapy. All donations are donated to cancer prevention, education, and research.
To get involved, both men and women are able to set up their own personal fundraising page and donate the money that is typically spent on grooming (from a few dollars on razors to $100 salon visits) to cancer fighting foundations.
The rules are simple. Participants must ditch shaving for 30 days and donate maintenance expenses to the cause. If there happens to be a strict dress code at workplaces, all participants are appreciated and trimming and grooming is acceptable. Even if participants are not interested in growing out their hair, supporting someone who is is also encouraged.
Some participants such as Austin Pierce from Peabody understood that the concept of No-Shave November is “To raise awareness for prostate cancer which is ‘worse’ than breast cancer but does not nearly get the same public attention.”
Although some participants may have understood a different reasoning for No-Shave November, the goal aims to raise awareness for various cancers.
“I’m embracing my masculine qualities while participating for a good cause,” said senior Mike Ralphs.
Movember is another charity that often gets confused with No-Shave November. The Movember Foundation encourages men to get involved to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis, effective treatments, and ultimately try to reduce the number of preventable deaths. Beside annual check-ups, The Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Thanks to the Chicagoland Hill family, this long-standing tradition was transformed into a charity after the Hills’ father, Matthew Hill, had passed away from colon cancer in November 2007. They created a web page that can be accessed through no-shave.org that allows participants to create their own personal fundraising pages, purchase No-Shave November merchandise, and learn more information about their organization.
The organizations that are funding the No-Shave November organization this year are The American Cancer Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
