Hillsdale Police End No-Shave November With ‘Shave Off’

HILLSDALE, N.J. — Eight Hillsdale police officers who ditched their razors last month to raise money to fight cancer enjoyed a luxurious "Shave Off" Thursday afternoon.

Almost done: Sgt. Chris Donaldson, foreground, and Officer Corey Rooney enjoy a light moment.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Barber Steve Bogosian works on Officer Thomas Smith.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Hillsdale Police Officer Alex Kaplan loses his beard at the Shave Off.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Sitting for a shave are Sgt. Chris Donaldson, foreground, with Evan Vidal, owner of The Shave Shop. Behind him are, right to left, Officer Corey Rooney, Det. Sgt. Adam Hampton, and Officer Thomas Smith.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Hillsdale Sgt. Chris Donaldson losing his beard and moustache.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Hillsdale Officer Corey Rooney, the newest member of the force, losing his beard.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Det. Sgt. Adam Hampton halfway through his shave experience with barber Michael Aspinwall.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Barber Mike Sebahie applies a hot towel to Officer Corey Rooney.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Outside The Shave Bar for a pre-shave pose holding a symbolic check for the $3,792 Hillsdale police raised for cancer research during No-Shave November.
Photo Credit: *Lorraine Ash*

Lorraine Ash

12/01/2016 6:00 p.m.

First, they posed for pictures outside The Shave Bar and Barber Shop to display the fruits of their effort: a $3,792 check.

“The first couple of weeks were a little rough, because the other 11 months of the year we don’t have any facial hair,” said Officer Ryan Norton. “So it gets a little itchy and uncomfortable.

“But, obviously, people who suffer from cancer have it a lot worse.”

Working two shifts, the shop's four barbers gave the officers the works: shave, hot towel, lather.

In addition to Norton, participating officers were: Sgt. Chris Donaldson, Detective Sgt. Adam Hampton and Officers Corey Rooney, Thomas Smith, Matt Buesser, Alex Kaplan and Travis Woods.

Rooney, who was sworn to the force in September, beat Hodgkin’s lymphoma not once but twice.

He and his colleagues donated this year through no-shave.org, a national effort in which supporters let their whiskers grow -- an ability that cancer patients lose.

No-Shave November's worldwide mission the past six years is to not only raise funds for cancer research and treatment -- more than $3.5 million headed into this year's campaign -- but to emphasize preventative measures.

“All other donation websites out there take a percentage,” Norton said. “This one donates 100 percent of what’s raised to the foundations.”

The money will be distributed among four cancer research foundations — the American Cancer Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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