Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Houghton County Sheriff Joshua Saaranen and Sgt. Keith Raffaelli donate $400 to Women Living With Cancer Support Group members Anita Quinn and Mary Zanoni to mark the conclusion of No-Shave November. The group will use the money to make kits for oncology patients.

HOUGHTON — Houghton County sheriff’s deputies skipped shaving this month for a good cause.

Friday morning, the department presented a $400 check to the Women Living With Cancer Support Group, a local group that meets monthly. Twelve deputies took part in the program; most shaved, though some just made the $30 donation, Sheriff Joshua Saaranen said.

Saaranen launched the department’s first No-Shave November this year after reading about it online. The national movement is designed to raise awareness of cancer. People are encouraged to give the money they would normally spend on shaving and grooming.

“We wanted to do that here in Houghton County and try to keep the money local,” Saaranen said.

After calling local hospitals, he was directed to the support group. It is putting money towards kits for men and women in the oncology units. Kits are tailored to either male and female oncology patients, with men’s kits including tools like screwdrivers and women’s including cosmetics.

“I think one woman said, ‘I like the men’s one,'” said Mary Zanoni, who handles administrative duties for the group.

Anita Quinn co-founded the group in 2013 after her first cancer diagnosis. She received part of her treatment in Ann Arbor, which had a support group there.

“It really helped me, when I was out of my element,” she said.

The group begins meetings by talking about their experiences with cancer. For new members who come in, hearing others helped them open up, Quinn said.

“When anybody hears the word cancer, the big ‘C word,’ it’s like your life turns upside down,” she said. “It’s really hard to talk to anybody about it, because there isn’t anybody that understands besides another person who’s heard that word themselves.”

The support has extended to giving rides to people going for treatment, whether to Marquette or the Mayo Clinic. Meetings also included guests such as oncologists, grief counselors and physical therapists, Zanoni said. Sadly, the group has also set up funerals for members who have died since the group was founded.

Saaranen said the group is providing an important role in the community.

“Having friends and family members that have battled cancer, I think that it’s a very important group education-wise and advocacy and especially support,” he said.

Zanoni was thrilled by the donation.

“It just helps us so much to help things going,” she said. “We get together and make the kits, so it’s even a little social event for us.”

The group meets on the last Wednesday of every month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call Angie Van Tassel at 906-369-0261 or Quinn at 906-482-9675.