NORRISTOWN, Pa. (WLVT) - The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is holding its sixth annual No Shave November fundraiser. Sheriff Sean Kilkenny announced the event Nov. 19 at the Montgomery County courthouse.
“Many law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania partake in this,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Sean P. Kilkenny.
Unlike the rest of the year, deputies in the Sheriff’s Office are allowed to grow out their facial hair the whole month of November.
“We have regulations here. Without a medical exception, you’re supposed to be clean shaven,” Kilkenny said. “This is doing things for a good cause. People get to show a little bit of their individuality, have some fun, and donate money.”
Deputies donate $25 for a mustache, $50 for a goatee, and $75 for a full beard, raising about $2,000 a year. The funds usually go to a men’s health organization, but this year, the department decided to support the family of a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputy whose Schwenksville house burned down in December 2017. The fire, caused by a failed extension cord, led to the death of 11-year-old Bryan Lukens and 6-year-old Parker Lukens. Dep. Bryan Lukens, his wife Tracy, and their 9-year-old daughter Soffia were injured but survived the fire.
“It’s about solidarity. It’s pitching in for a good cause,” Kilkenny said.
Funds from this year’s No Shave November are going to Camp Millie, a bereavement camp for kids that Soffia attended over the summer. The camp, located in Skippack and run by the Center for Loss and Bereavement, is held the last week in June and offers counseling and camp activities for children ages six to 12.
“We meet families when they’re dealing with incredibly challenging times,” said Emily Vincent, executive director of the center. “For us to see the support that is raised from the community around those families is really inspiring to us and the work that we do.”
Deputies said they appreciated a month of not having to shave, especially because come Dec. 1, the beards must once again come off.
