UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Health and Mid Penn Bank raised $340,000 through their ninth consecutive “No Shave November” campaign, officially crossing the $1 million mark for funds raised since the launch of this annual initiative.
No Shave November, which began in 2016 and has grown every year since, benefits research and treatment for prostate and urological cancers at Penn State Health. Participants from both organizations ditched their razors and grew out their facial hair in a friendly competition to see who could raise the most money for the cause.
This year, Rory Ritrievi, CEO of Mid Penn Bank, and his team “MPB Execs” took home the title of top team, raising $137,863. Dr. Jay Raman, professor and chair of the Department of Urology at Penn State Health, and his team “Raman Noodles” raised $127,584. The other 29 teams, composed of employees from Penn State Health and Mid Penn Bank, raised $74,553.
“The support from Mid Penn Bank over the last nine years has been absolutely incredible. When we started this, I never thought we’d get anywhere close to raising a million dollars, but here we are,” Raman said. “I’d like to thank Rory and the rest of the team for their work. The funds raised have truly been impactful to our patients at Penn State Health and many others in the communities we serve.”
The money raised supports the research of physician-scientists in the Department of Urology that focuses on cancer care in the aging population, addresses cancer disparities in minority populations, and increases genetic testing of cancer patients to better determine risk and personalize therapies.
It also helps provide free prostate cancer screenings for the community, supports mission-based work by the department in underserved areas regionally and nationally, and makes educational conferences concerning cancer prevention and screening available to patients and health care professionals.
In the last year, the Department of Urology was able to double the number of free screenings provided to men because of the funds raised from this campaign. This included a free screening event on Nov. 16, at which more than 50 men were checked and given health advice.
“I am extremely proud of the work we’ve done to raise this money and exceed the $1 million mark. In the first year of the campaign, we raised $11,000 and we thought we did really well,” Ritrievi said. “Raising over $1 million is amazing to see. One of my favorite parts of the entire campaign is watching the enthusiasm of our Mid Penn Bank employees and the employees at Penn State Health and their dedication throughout the month.”
Gifts from community partners like Mid Penn Bank advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.