For the second year, the department is participating in No Shave November.
Voorhees residents may notice something a bit odd about policemen throughout November — sideburns and beards.
Although it’s customary for officers to keep a clean-cut shave, the officers of the Voorhees Township Police Department will be embracing their stubble for a good cause.
“We’ll be ditching the razors,” Capt. Carmen Del Palazzo said. “Having scruff on your face is certainly not normal for us, so I know the public will do some double takes when they see some of us in uniform.”
For the second year, the department is participating in its rendition of “No-Shave November.”
The campaign aims to spread prevention, education and research about cancer.
“We all have loved ones, friends, coworkers, etc. who are affected by cancer,” Del Palazzo said. “The officers are just trying to show support for those who are battling it.”
Last year, the Voorhees Police Department raised $1,400 for the campaign. It hopes to exceed that goal this year.
Participating policemen donate $25 each. The donations are made on behalf of the Patrolmen’s Association, the Sergeants’ Association and the Senior Officers’ Association. The donations are collected by the president of the Patrolman’s Association and then will be given to the American Cancer Society.
The growth of goatees and mustaches does not just represent a worldwide crusade but hits home for the officers. In 2010, Lt. Gerald “Jerry” Bonsall passed away from cancer.
“We’ve been affected by it,” Del Palazzo said. “But everyone is affected by cancer, it doesn’t matter who you are. Everybody knows someone who has had it.”
The Voorhees Township Police Department’s version of the movement derives from the national No Shave November campaign, which started through the Movember Foundation in 2003. The global project aims to grow awareness of prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
The foundation is the only charity promoting men’s physical and mental health on a global scale. Over the past 13 years, the foundation sponsored more than 1,200 projects around the world. By 2030, it strives to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25 percent, according to its website.
The sight of stubble will hopefully encourage both men and women, not just through November but always, to make their health a priority by practicing prevention techniques.
“We want people to be aware of it, get tested and get screened early on,” Del Palazzo. “Don’t wait. Listen to your doctors.”
