Written by Juliana Bringer. Media by Mary Todd Christian
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It’s that time of year when many of the men on campus will start growing our their beards. For some, it’s because they prefer a little facial hair. For others, there is a greater mission behind their burly, bearded locks. That’s right. It’s time for No-Shave November. Many of us have probably heard of No-Shave November and have participated in it, but do you know what it is truly about? The actual purpose of No-Shave November is meant to raise awareness and funds for research into finding a cure for cancer. I certainly had no idea until I recently did some research into the true meaning and purpose behind No-Shave November. Originally, I thought it was just a time for people to be lazy and not shave, but it’s so much more.
No-Shave November has been a tradition for many years, however, only recently has it became a way to raise cancer awareness. That was when a family from Chicagoland decided to use it as a way to raise both awareness and funds. The Hills lost their father due to colon cancer in 2007 and began the cancer awareness campaign in the fall of 2009. It then grew from a small, family-based project to a full-blown organization with hundreds of participants.
No-Shave November participants use the money they would otherwise spend on shaving products to donate to cancer-fighting foundations. People who only spend a few bucks on razors and shaving cream and people who spend more at salons all donate to the cause. Also, suddenly growing a beard can help conversations about the campaign and help bring awareness to the fight against cancer. The hair also signifies the hair lost by cancer patients during treatments.
You can register to officially join No-Shave November on their website and sign up as an individual or a team of friends and family. You can also donate individually or through your favorite team and purchase apparel for sale. Furthermore, they have links and tags you can share on your favorite social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. Not only this, you can print off and hang flyers to get other people to notice and join.
Joining No-Shave November is a great way to show support for your friends and family who have cancer. While mostly men participate in the campaign, that doesn’t mean women can’t! Supporting the cause will help those with cancer know you are there every step of the way and are doing what you can to help raise awareness and funds for research to fight cancer so that one day in the future, cancer can be eradicated. So, toss your razors aside or click on the donate link to show some support. Talk to your friends, start the conversation and let’s end cancer!
