MELISSA MARTINEZ
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

Ever wondered why men seem to neglect their beards during the winter? Maybe as their way of staying warm or in honor of a tradition called No Shave November.

On Oct. 31, dedicated men shaved their beards for the last time to grow out for the duration of November. Most men decide to grow out their facial hair to support prostate cancer awareness month. The goal is to embrace hair and let it grow to unimaginable lengths. Since most cancer patients lose their hair to chemotherapy treatments, non-shavers can donate the money they would normally spend to maintain their hair to cancer research. No Shave November is less expensive than shaving every couple of days and is tax deductible.

According to the National Cancer Institute website, prostate cancer is “cancer that forms in tissues of the prostate, usually occurring in older men.”

In the United States, there were approximately 240,890 new cases and 33,720 deaths in 2011. There are many organizations funding research to cure prostate cancer, such as “ZERO—The Project to End Prostate Cancer.”

ZERO is a charity that not only wants to reduce prostate cancer, but end the disease entirely. Their main goal is to lengthen the lives of men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer by providing them with treatment to cure their cancer, manage their illness and have a life that doesn’t involve constant treatment to try and end their suffering.

This particular organization offers ways to help raise prostate cancer awareness as well as promote early diagnosis by offering free testing. It also gives patrons a chance to support organizations such as “The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge & DASH FOR DAD,” a national race series.