No Shave November is a popular trend that both men and women participate in every year. No Shave November was created to raise awareness for those battling cancer and the hair loss they encounter from chemotherapy. The most popular trend is for men to grow out their facial hair for the entire month of November.
No Shave November is not strictly for men, however. While a large number of men across the world participate in this tradition to grow out their facial hair, women participate by growing out their leg hair as well as other body hair.
The trend of No Shave November was founded on Facebook in 2009 and started a partnership with the American Cancer Society in 2013. The goal of the partnership is for those participating in this tradition to donate the money they would usually spend on hair grooming to the American Cancer Society. No Shave November is web-based non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for cancer. This organization is also working with the Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Many students on Cabrini’s campus participate in No Shave November. Sophomore business administration major, Jared Irwin has been participating in No Shave November for two years.
“I do it for the spirt of the game and to become part of the atmosphere of one of the many people on campus who participate in No Shave November,” Irwin said.
Sophomore political science major, Derek Moser has been participating in No Shave November for the past four years.
“It’s part of Movember which is a movement to promote masculinity and raise awareness of issues related to the male gender,” Moser said
Movember began in 2003 in Australia to raise awareness for prostate cancer. Thirty men participated in the original Movember in 2003. The event had 450 participants the following year and raised $43,000. In 2014, over 20 countries participated in Movember. Since 2003, there have been over 4,000,000 participants raising $649 million.
Sophomore history major Malachi Purnell has been participating in No Shave November for the past two years.
“This year, part of the reason I am participating is because I am curious as to if it will have an impact on how people see me because I won’t be clean shaven,” Purnell said.
While there are some students that have participated in this tradition in years past, sophomore marketing major Tommy Maioriello is participating for the first time this year.
“I’m doing it for fun,” Maioriello said. “I don’t have a specific reason but it’s something to do.”
While everyone has their own personal reasons for participating in no shave November, the original goal of this movement was to raise money and awareness for cancer.
