November Became a Hairy Month for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office - But in a Good Way

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson and much of his crew opted to take their faces undercover for the fourth annual No-Shave November fundraising event, during which funds and awareness were raised for cancer research and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

For the event, Sheriff Rand Henderson authorized staff of the MCSO to buck current departmental policy and grow out their facial hair. More than 300 employees voluntarily participated in the event, substituting or complementing beard growth with a minimum $50 donation - a helpful caveat for those employees incapable of dictating if their faces could grow hair. Members of the public were also encouraged to take part in the initiative.

'The purpose of No-Shave November is to take what money you might spend on grooming and instead donate it to this wonderful cause,' said Lt. Scott Spencer from MCSO Administrative Services. 'Though we participate in fundraising activities for several charities throughout the year, this one is particularly important to us, as cancer is the leading cause of death. Even members of our own staff aren't immune from its reach.' Spencer added that several employees of MCSO had benefited from the research the event promoted.

Earlier this week, Sheriff Henderson, on behalf of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, presented a check for the money raised in the amount of $15,235.00 to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, whose mission is to aid in the research for cures of blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and survivors.

“I am humbled by our agency’s commitment to help bring awareness to the cancer research efforts undertaken by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Within the foundation of this community collaboration, a servant’s heart was on display, and I couldn’t be more proud of our employees and community who united for such a noble cause,” said Henderson.

For its fourth year, this event saw a significant surge in donations and participation from previous years. In 2018, more than 240 deputies and employees took part and raised $13,500. The next year saw a massive increase with 270 employees raising $17,300. Unfortunately, COVID hit the next year and $12,105 - still not inconsiderable - was raised. But for 2021, more than 300 people raised more than $15,000.

'This is a chance for us to give back to the community that we love so much,' said Spencer.

As an added bonus to his staff, Henderson released a new departmental policy that went into effect on the first day of December, allowing facial hair to be properly kept on the department's uniformed officers. Lt. Spencer himself is, alongside several of his compatriots, taking advantage of the beard-based permission.

'Sheriff Henderson is innovative,' said Spencer. 'He understands the pulse of the community that we love to give back to whenever we can.'