Spitfires get shaved for Movember
by Rob Benneian
A beard signifies success in hockey. It is tradition for players to grow playoff beards which they won’t shave until their team is eliminated. In November, Canadian Hockey League players will grow their facial hair out for a different reason.
Chris Marchese and John Bowen, two members of the Windsor Spitfires, had their facial hair professionally shaven Nov. 3 at The Barber’s Chair in Devonshire Mall to kick off the team’s Movember campaign. As part of a CHL movement, the Spitfires are growing their facial hair to raise awareness for prostate cancer and men’s mental health issues.
Marchese and Bowen, who signed autographs prior to getting lathered up, were not randomly selected to participate.
“We’ve got two of our hairier players, Chris Marchese and John Bowen, and we’re launching our 2012 Spitfires Movember campaign,” said Spits media relations coordinator Dave Ducharme. “We’re getting these two fellas clean to really kick things off. We’re expecting a great response from our fans, we’re hoping to raise a lot of money.”
The team has registered with movember.com, a website which tracks and ranks the beard growth and funds raised by different organizations. All 60 CHL teams were invited to participate. In 2011, the 39 participating teams raised $128,222, good for fourteenth amongst registered Canadian networks. Of the nearly $108 million raised last year worldwide from Movember, more than $38 million came from Canada.
Marchese, who takes part in Movember every year, said the last time he had been professionally shaven was for his brother’s wedding.
“Probably the last time I was clean shaven, too,” Marchese said.
According to Canadian Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most commonly-occurring cancer amongst men in Canada. An estimated 26,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in Canada in 2012. It also causes the third-highest number of male cancer-related deaths.
“My grampa has (prostate cancer) so it was nice to see people coming out to support this,” said Bowen. “I just found out not even a year ago.”
Spitfires defenceman Adam Bateman recently lost his grandfather to prostate cancer and said he wants to raise as much money as possible to support the cause.
The Barber’s Chair supports the Spitfires yearly in various charitable endeavours, but this is its first venture into the Movember campaign. Co-owner Sandra Crevier has billeted Spitfire players for six years. In the past, she opened her doors to current New Jersey Devils centre Adam Henrique. Now she is billeting Spitfires overage forward Derek Schoenmakers.
“We just got a phone call, they asked if we wanted to help out with the prostate cancer (awareness) and Movember, and we’re always here to lend a hand whenever we can,” said Crevier.
Marchese and Bowen will continue to grow their Mos until Dec. 1, when they will again be tended to by the professionals from the Barber’s Chair at the team’s Movember wrap-up party. The event will be held at Kelsey’s restaurant at 9 Amy Croft Dr. in Tecumseh.
You can follow the Spitfires Movember progress and donate to the cause here.
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