The department has passed its $5,000 goal for November, reaching more than $5,200 by Nov. 20.
Officials with the Evesham Township Police Department have announced that the department has reached its $5,000 fundraising goal that the department set at the beginning of November for its “No-Shave November” campaign to raise awareness for cancer.
According to the department, as of Nov. 20 the department had raised more than $5,200 by not shaving, with more than 70 officers participating in the cause.
Officials with the department say ETPD is participating in the “No Shave November” campaign to bring awareness to cancer.
Throughout November, voluntarily participating members of the department made donations to cancer research and were allowed to forgo shaving to evoke conversation and raise cancer awareness.
“This terrible disease has an impact on every one of us, whether it is our family, friends or even our own personal fight,” said Evesham Chief of Police Christopher Chew. “We must continue to work together and fight this disease, find a cure and continue to save lives.”
According to statistics provided by the ETPD, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men, with 161,360 men set to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017and 26,739 estimated to die from the disease. Currently, 2.9 million men live with prostate cancer in the United States, and one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in America for men between the ages of 20 to 34, 8,850 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2017, and 410 men estimated to die from testicular cancer this year.
According to statistics provided by the ETPD, early detection of prostate and testicular cancer increases survival rates, with the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer, when caught in the early stages, set at 100 percent. The five-year survival rate of testicular cancer, when caught in the early stages, is 99 percent.
According to the ETPD, prostate and testicular cancer not caught in the early stages has limited treatment options, so early diagnoses is critical to the surviving these cancers. Prostate cancer can be detected early by getting a simple PSA blood test. Testicular cancer can be detected early by getting educated on self-screening exams.
Police continue to ask the public to join in this campaign and have community members to spark conversations with family members and friends about cancer awareness.
Donations to help support cancer research can be made by visiting: www.gofundme.com/ETPD-NoShaveNovember
