The male officers of the Rindge Police Department are forgoing their traditional clean-shaven look this month for No-Shave November, to raise money for a charity that hits close to home.
Each year, male officers pay a fee and collect pledges to be allowed to grow out their beards, and the money raised goes to a selected charity. All of the Rindge Police Department members have pledged to donate $100. This year, the department has set a total goal of $500, with the fund to be donated to Operation Home Base, a nonprofit that assists veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injuries and their families.
Corporal Max Rocheleau of the Rindge Police Department said this charity has special meaning to the department, as three of its members are veterans themselves, and one of them sustained a brain injury.
“I think the biggest part about this campaign is the demonstration of support by communities from across New England and the country,” said Home Base Executive Director and retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond. “It goes well beyond ‘thank you for your service’ – it’s something tangible people are doing to show them that they care. At Home Base, we offer some of the best care in the United States, so with all of these departments reaching out into these communities, they are bound to know someone who needs help and connect them to us. Every time they do that, they are saving a life.”
To date, the Home Base No Shave campaign has raised $800,000 from 2,500 first responders from over 136 towns across the country.
To contribute to the Rindge Police Department’s fundraising efforts, visit because.massgeneral.org/fundraiser/2966505.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.