toggle mobile menu Menu
toggle search menu

Site Navigation

Supplemental

Menu

Blog Post

St. Luke’s Blogs

Hair-Raising Events Put the ‘Fun’ in Fundraising

By Chris Langrill, News and Community
December 15, 2017
The top winners in Magic Valley’s competition were (left to right) St. Luke’s Magic Valley employees Jacob Gardner and Brycen Taylor and Twin Falls Police Department Det. J.R. Paradez.

Recently, St. Luke’s physicians and employees in the Magic Valley and Treasure Valley put down their razor blades and picked up their proverbial torches in the name of raising money for the hospitals.

No Shave November provided a unique way for men to grow out their beards to support their grass-roots campaigns (or would that be facial-hair roots campaigns?).

The No Shave November events were all about fun, but by the end of the month they produced some serious money.

Michelle Bartlome, the public relations manager for St. Luke’s Magic Valley, said the event raised $14,000 last year. This year’s raffles and donations at both St. Luke’s and the Twin Falls Police Department eclipsed last year’s amount, with a total of more than $15,000 raised.

“Helping support patients with cancer is such an important cause and has inspired many of our officers to support No Shave November,” said Twin Falls Police Department Officer Shawn Applewhite.

The money will go to St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute in Twin Falls through the St. Luke’s Magic Valley Health Foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund. 

Dr. Frank Johnson, vice president of medical affairs for St. Luke’s West Region, won the “Most Transformed” award in Treasure Valley’s No Shave November competition.

The campaign in the Treasure Valley has humbler, er, roots. But if Daniel Silver has his way the event will continue to grow in years to come.

Silver, the senior director of Physician Services in Boise, decided on short notice to see if he could get some of the physicians and other staff members to participate. Silver said the idea came to fruition about 24 hours before Nov. 1, but 25 men signed up and donated almost $1,500, which will go to St. Luke’s Men’s Health.
 

St. Luke's Healthy U joined the Movember fun with the #SLstache social media campaign.

“Next year, it will be a lot bigger,” Silver said. He said he would like to see other departments get involved and some friendly intra-department rivalries taking place. He has half-jokingly commented that he’d like to raise $10,000 next year.

“We’ll see what happens,” Silver said.

In the end, everybody would win if No Shave November events – and beards – continue to grow.

SO WHO WON?

Treasure Valley:

  • Doug Ebbers , Most Creative
  • Frank Johnson, Most Transformed
  • Curtis Brien, Best Overall

Magic Valley:

  • Jacob Gardner
  • Brycen Taylor
  • J.R. Paradez (Twin Falls Police Department)


About The Author

Chris Langrill is a writer and copy editor for the St. Luke’s Communications and Marketing department.

Related Location

St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center
801 Pole Line Road W.
Twin Falls, ID 83301
(208) 814-1000

Related Location

St. Luke's Boise Medical Center
190 E. Bannock St.
Boise, ID 83712
(208) 381-2222