Every November since 2016, employees of Mid Penn Bank and Penn State Health have ditched their razors and grown their facial hair in support of No Shave November — a national campaign to raise prostate cancer awareness and funds.
The two organizations have announced an expansion of their No Shave November partnership — strengthening their commitment to support care and increase cancer research in central Pennsylvania. The annual initiative raises money for Penn State Heath’s Department of Urology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Under the agreement, Mid Penn Bank will lead a campaign over the next four years that will build on the success of previous efforts and raise $1.1 million by 2026, according to a press release.
“We’re proud to deepen our long-time partnership with Penn State Health and the College of Medicine and contribute to our shared goal of improving men’s health,” Mid Penn Bank president and CEO Rory Ritrievi said in a statement.
In 2022, Mid Penn Bank and Penn State Health collectively raised a record-breaking $241,000 for men’s health and cancer research. Since its inception, the campaign has contributed more than $622,000 in support of prostate cancer research by rallying financial support from employees and partners of both organizations during the month of November.
The money raised during the annual campaign supports the Penn State Health Department of Urology’s involvement in the Pennsylvania Urologic Regional Collaborative, a quality-improvement initiative that connects urology practices in a physician-led, data-sharing and improvement collaborative. The collaboration is aimed at advancing the quality of diagnosis and care for patients with prostate cancer, according to the release.
“We’re so grateful that Mid Penn Bank has joined us as a champion for men’s health,” Dr. Jay Raman, interim chairman of the department of urology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine, said in a statement. “Community partnerships are important in growing awareness, educating our communities and getting men the care they need.”
This commitment also 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.
In addition to supporting cancer research, the money raised during the annual drive helps provide free prostate cancer screenings for the community, supports mission-based work by the department to underserved areas regionally and nationally and makes available educational conferences for patients and health care professionals covering elements of cancer prevention and screening.
“Philanthropy is absolutely vital to medical research. This support helps dedicated researchers uncover groundbreaking, lifesaving treatments for prostate cancer and other diseases affecting men’s health,” Dr. Kevin Black, interim dean of the College of Medicine, said in a statement.
In conjunction with the announcement of the enhanced partnership and Mid Penn Bank’s leadership and financial commitment to the fundraising effort, Penn State will name the second-floor outpatient clinic at Penn State Cancer Institute the Mid Penn Bank Outpatient Clinic.
No Shave November is a signature Mid Penn Bank fundraising initiative and has grown from employees making donations and growing beards, Ritrievi previously told MediaNews Group, to include fundraisers, special events and community partnerships.
Headquartered in Millersburg, Mid Penn has more than 600 employees and operates 48 branches in 17 Pennsylvania counties, including Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Montgomery and Schuylkill counties.
In August 2018, Mid Penn Bank acquired Malvern-based First Priority Bank and its seven locations in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment