Dozens of area men have been growing beards throughout the month of November to draw attention to men’s health issues and raise funds for Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
“The campaign has been all about encouraging men to talk to each other and to their doctors about issues like prostate cancer, heart disease, colorectal cancer and other conditions that we have historically been reticent to discuss,” said Steven R. Gordon, President and CEO of BMH, who grew his own beard for the campaign. “The beards are a unique way of engaging others in conversation; people ask you why you’re looking a little fuzzy, and it opens the door to talk about the importance of scheduling preventive screening tests.”
Beard growers had the option of organizing themselves into teams, or participating as individuals and were tasked with reaching out to friends, family, colleagues and contacts in their social media networks to solicit “sponsorships” for their individual beards while also sharing men’s health facts and encouraging their peers to initiate dialogue with their health care providers.
The campaign raised over $14,000 for BMH, but according to Peter Carvell, Captain of the “Bearded Bankers of Brattleboro Savings and Loan” team, another positive outcome of the campaign was the awareness raised in the community. “Hundreds of people participated in this campaign as beard growers and as supporters, meaning that hundreds of conversations were happening throughout the month of November about the importance of men’s health issues, early detection, and preventative care” said Carvell. “It was a great opportunity to remind men of all ages to talk to their doctors about staying healthy.”
The Brattleboro Savings and Loan team of 12 “growers” raised over $4,000 which Carvell attributes to “a total team effort. It was great to participate with my colleagues and we encourage other local businesses to join the campaign next year to try to beat our record – not that we’re at all competitive…”
“We were fortunate to have a great team of “growers” working on this campaign, including our friends at the Rotary who probably reached out to every single person in the community. We also had terrific sponsorship support from local businesses like C&S Wholesale Grocers and Foard Panel,” said Gordon. “We appreciate that they share our mission for caring for the men of our community.”
On December 1st BMH threw a “Shave-Off” party at Mac’s Barbershop on Putney Rd. to celebrate the campaign’s success and give participants the opportunity to receive professional shaves. “This is the second year that Mary Jane and Anne have hosted us at the barbershop and come in on their day off to donate their services to the cause,” said Gordon. “They’ve been great partners in this effort.”
BMH has provided healthcare services for over one hundred years. A licensed, 61-bed, not-for-profit community hospital located in southeastern Vermont, it serves a rural population of about 55,000 people in 22 towns in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The medical staff includes 137 board-certified physicians, both primary care and many specialists, and its 572 employees enjoy the help of over 110 active volunteers.