Del. icon intends to buzz off beard for cancer
Costume parties, trick-or-treating and eating candy — that's how most people will spend Halloween.
However, Morgan Shank is not like most people.
He'll be in a stylist's chair, shaving off his hair and beard for a good cause on Oct. 31.
"I'm going full Pitbull," he said, referring to his clean shaven similarities with the famous American rapper.
Shank invites the community to watch his hair disappear at Buzz Off, Cancer 2.0, the event he'll be throwing Halloween night at the Crooked Hammock Brewery in Lewes.
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But Shank won't be going, "completely naked mole rat," — as he puts it — all at once.
He'll be whittling his hairstyle and beard down, one icon at a time, until there's nothing left.
At the original Buzz Off, Cancer, a benefit for Relay For Life held at a(MUSE.) in Rehoboth Beach, Shank went from Mr. T to Doc from "Back to the Future," before rocking a fully shaved head and goatee. The hairstyles were a joke, but Shank said the solidarity was real.
"My father is a cancer survivor and, at the time, a really good friend of mine was battling treatment," he said. "They were my big motivators."
Shank, a filmmaker, musician and entertainer at heart, who came into the public eye with his music video, "Delaware State of Mind," raised $1,000 at the inaugural event. He is hoping to double that amount this year at the Hammock.
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The event will begin at 8 p.m., featuring 50/50 raffles, prizes, Buzz Off swag, live music and will have plenty of stylists on hand for those who want to cut, buzz or trim their do's for cancer research. The evening will also be the perfect chance to have a clean slate ready for no-shave-November, Shank said.
Buzz Off, Cancer 2.0 will not be Crooked Hammock's first charitable fundraiser, or its last. The brewery hosted the Ashley Furio 5K run/walk earlier this month, and will have an upcoming dinner event, where 10 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Shawn and Missy Brittingham, whose 3-year-old daughter Gabriella is battling a very rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. Rich Garrahan, director of operations at Crooked Hammock's, said he jumped at the opportunity to host Shank’s event.
"It think cancer is something that hits home for so many people, especially here in Delaware," he said. "This event is going to be fun and silly, but it's also very serious."
A report issued by the Delaware Division of Public Health this June indicates Delaware has an overall cancer incidence rate 10.8 percent higher than the national rate.
"We are all touched by this disease," he said. "I think anytime we have the opportunity to raise money for research, for prevention or to help those suffering, we got to do it."
Buzz Off, Cancer 2.0 is free to attend, however 10 percent of the night's drink and food sales will be donated to the American Cancer Society. For more information, call 302-644-7837, or visit the event's Facebook page.
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