WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- The Wilkes-Barre Police Departments is participating in No Shave November.
In the lobby of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, you'll find photos of mostly clean-shaven officers from years past. Well, that's all about to change for the month of November.
"Normally, we have a strict grooming policy," Officer Mike Twerdi said. "For the whole entire month of November, we're allowed to grow beards to hopefully catch people off guard and raise some money for cancer research."
No Shave November is a movement done all across the country to help raise money for cancer research. This is the first year WBPD is doing it and the officers are pretty excited about it.
"I think the idea behind it is to take the money that you would have spent on razors and shaving cream and donate that to the cancer research," Officer Joe Homza said.
Since some of the police officers aren't used to growing beards, Newswatch 16 stopped in at Loyalty Barbershop on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre to get some tips for them.
"(To grow a healthy beard you have to) keep it clean, wash it, condition it, use beard oil, maintenance, comb it, regular trimmings." barber Mark Campas said.
The WBPD officers are only a couple days in to their no shave journey. When their beards fully grow in, they hope they'll inspire others to donate.
"It's going to be a shock for people to see that so I think it's imporatnt that we understand why we're doing it so we can educate the community as to why we're doing it," Officer Homza said.
The Wilkes-Barre Police Department will donate all the money they raise during No Shave November to St. Judes and the Wyoming Valley Children's Association.