Bluegrass artists The Chapmans are throwing away their razors for the month of November, and asking other male members of the bluegrass world to do the same in order to raise money and awareness for Prostate Cancer Research. Now eight days into Bluegrass No-Shave November, the band has shorn off shaving this month.
Jason Chapman says the idea came from the popular moustache growing Movember event, which has raised $2,822,375 for Prostate Cancer this year.
Jason tells us that last year, at the prodding of fiddler Tyler Beckett, the band participated in Movember. They spent a week in Las Vegas sporting their lovely muzzies. This year the guys had discussed the idea of a beard-growing event, along with ex-Isaacs banjoist/guitarist Thomas Wyrot.
“We decided if we were going to do it, that we should do it for a good cause.”
The rules of the No-Shave November, as written on the event’s Facebook page, are as follows:
OK, first things first… here are the rules of N.S.N:
Rule #1: THERE ARE NO RULES! (I always wanted to say that.)
Rule #2: Come the morning of November 1st you must be clean shaven, that means no “stashes,” no “chin curtains,” no “goatees,” and most of all no “designer stubble.”
Rule #3: Let it grow like the mighty and majestic Sequoia.
Rule#4: Grooming “is” allowed, but only as it pertains to the shape of the beard (we don’t want to look like we just crawled out of a cave, and besides, what would the ladies think?
Rule #5: The length of the beard shall remain unaltered, let’s face it, this is a beard growing contest.
And finally Rule #6: Donate freely; this is for a good cause. You don’t have to grow a beard to participate, encourage your friends and family to donate in honor of your whisker growing prowess.
Via a Paypal link on the Facebook page, you can make a donation to the fund. On Dec 1st, the proceeds will be collected and donated to The American Cancer Society for Prostate Research.
The participants are posting daily photo updates of their facial growth, with plans to do a time lapse montage of the beard-growing process at month’s end.
One added benefit that I discussed with Jason is the fact that male bluegrassers everywhere can now grow a beard, and when their spouse or signifigant other shows their dipleasure, they can remind them, that it’s for a good cause! Jason added that brother John’s wife was none too happy with his decision to forego the razor.
They even roped their Dad, banjo player Bill Chapman in on the fund raiser. Chapman the elder even shaved off his moustache in preparation.
Even though it is their first year, they hope to make a yearly event out of No-Shave November. It sounds like a great way to have some fun as the bluegrass festival season lurches into winter hibernation, while getting the word out about prostate health to the bluegrass community at the same.
There is no shave… only grow!
