Written by Ben Cox – You might notice a few furry faces this month at the Brownwood Police Department. No, they don’t belong to a new K-9 unit, they are the faces of officers who are growing out their beards as a way to draw attention to Testicular Cancer as part of No-Shave-November.
Authorized, and in part started by Chief Terry Nichols, 16 members of the force have teamed with Beard Patrol, a nation wide organization of police officers whose goal is to raise money and awareness to this particular type of cancer.
Chief Nichols says this isn’t the first time the force has considered doing this. “We talked about it last year in mid-November and said that we should have done it, and this year we remembered in October so we put it out to the officers. We formed a team and kind of challenged the Sheriff’s Office and Early PD as well. We’re having a good time with it.”
Nichols says the feeling of the scruff on his face is not one he is familiar with. “I’m not a beard person, so this is kinda new to me. I was asked what December 1st will look like, and I’ll be having a shaving party!”
Historically clean shaven, the beards are only a temporary thing for Brownwood PD. Nichols says “I’m a traditionalist, in uniform I think that a mustache is ok, but not a beard. But to raise money for a special cause like this we certainly will do it. If it raises a little bit of money and a lot of awareness for testicular cancer, then I’m all for it.”
Testicular cancer mainly affects young men between the ages of 20 and 39, as well as men who have family history with the cancer. As of the writing of this story, the department has raised $650 so far, with the month only a third over.
Parties who wish to donate can do so at the Department’s Beard Patrol page, where you can also select which officer you would like to sponsor. All monies donated are sent directly to the Testicular Cancer Foundation.
(Featured in the above picture are, left to right: James Shannon, Jayme Bowman, and Chief Nichols)
