URBANA — University of Illinois Police officers and staff are giving new meaning to the term “the fuzz” this month.
Officers have once again been given the all-clear to bend the department’s appearance standards for a good cause during No-Shave November. Officers and staff members who donate at least $20 to the American Cancer Society will be allowed to ditch the razor for 30 days during November.
The effort raised $400 last year and $555 in 2014. The primary focus of No-Shave November is to promote cancer awareness and to spark meaningful discussions about the disease throughout the campus community — the idea is that scruffy officers will catch some attention and encourage others to participate, too.
During the rest of the year, U. of I. Police officers are not allowed to grow beards or goatees, so there are some ground rules: Facial hair must be neatly groomed and in good taste. Neck beards still are not allowed. And the beards must be gone by midnight Nov. 30.
Anyone wishing to support the officers’ effort can do so by contacting the University of Illinois Police Department at 217-333-1216 or police@illinois.edu.
For more information about No-Shave November, visit no-shave.org or us.movember.com.
