No Shave November

It’s finally November, which, for many, means “No Shave November.” For 30 days, men are encouraged to forgo shaving and grooming in order to evoke conversation and raise cancer awareness. According to the national “No Shave November” website, http://www.no-shave.org, the goal of the campaign is to grow awareness by embracing our hair — something that many cancer patients lose — and letting it grow wild and free. Donate the money you typically spend on shaving and grooming to a national or local cancer charity of your choice. The “No Shave” tradition has been around for years, but the children of Matthew Hill, a Chicago man who passed away from colon cancer in November 2007, took it a step further by using the cause to raise money for charity. The entire aim is to turn each man into a walking billboard for men’s health, with their facial hair being the conversation starter.

Locally, Sidney Health Center has seen an unprecedented rise in cancer cases over the last few years. “Cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in Richland County, following heart disease,” according to Dr. Kiehl, Radiation Oncologist at Sidney Health Center. To address this, male employees across all departments at Sidney Health Center are participating in “No Shave November”, raising money for the SHC Cancer Care fund held by the Foundation for Community Care. Richard St. Germain, SHC Food Services Director says, “I have lost a lot a family and friends to this relentless disease called cancer. I want to help and be a part of the effort to support funding and find ways to support our community in the fight against cancer.” Men participating in “No Shave November” are encouraged to abide by just a few rules:

- Put down your razor for 30 days. Strict dress code at work? Don’t worry about it! Participation of any kind is encouraged; grooming and trimming are perfectly acceptable.

- “No-Shave November” has the main goal of raising men’s cancer awareness through embracing hair, which many cancer patients lose, so let it grow wild and free!

- If you choose to solicit donations or want to help with a charitable cause, consider donating the money you typically spend on shaving and grooming to a local or national cancer care charity of your choice. Or find sponsors to support you throughout the month. “No Shave November” started as an easy way for friends and family to raise money and awareness for cancer causes, and has turned into a nationwide celebration. Every November for the past six years, these no-shavers have used the month as a cancer-based fundraising tool, and have raised over $2 million dollars to date. “The Foundation for Community Care is always pleased when our community can come together and raise awareness for a great cause. We are fortunate to have such an amazing cancer care team at Sidney Health Center, and anything we can do to support their work is important,” states Gina Heckey, Senior Executive for the Foundation for Community Care. For more information, or to participate in “No Shave November” on a national level, visit http://www.no-shave.org. To support local fundraising efforts for Sidney Health Center Cancer Care, visit the Foundation for Community Care website at http://www.foundationforcommunitycare.org, or call (406) 488-2273.