A cancer diagnosis can turn someone's world upside down, but a little help from their community can remind them they're not facing it alone.
Community members will gather for the annual No Shave Nebraska Lincoln Banquet on Friday, Nov. 20, from 5 - 11 p.m. at Champion Seed Warehouse, 15901 SW 42nd St. in Martell.
No Shave Nebraska President Devin Ostrander said the event brings together people who want to support others, even if they have never met the people receiving assistance.
“It’s awesome that it’s random people coming together to help people with cancer that they do not even know,” he said.
No Shave Nebraska began in 2019, and the Lincoln chapter formed and started its own banquet in 2022.
“This started with some random volunteers that had a buddy that had cancer, and they just got together and raised some money for him, and now it's blown up into a couple hundred thousand dollars a year,” Ostrander said.
The first official banquet in 2022 drew about 240 people. Today, around 600 people typically attend each year.
Community members nominate people who have demonstrated strength and resolve while navigating a difficult time to receive financial assistance from No Shave Nebraska. The amount each recipient receives depends on their story.
“We do not care what they do with the money, whether it be for medical bills to getting groceries,” Ostrander said. “One lady had cancer during COVID, and she really couldn’t go anywhere, so they bought an above-ground pool for the summer so she could hang out.”
The organization also helps people who may not be struggling financially but could benefit from the knowledge that their community is behind them.
“It's just a little something that says, ‘Hey, we're thinking of you, and you've been nominated by your community,’” he said.
The organization discreetly mails checks to recipients, who often do not know they have been nominated. Ostrander handwrites a card to accompany each check.
“They just open up their mail and see this thing from No Shave Nebraska, and they open it up and see a check for a couple hundred or couple thousand dollars or whatever it might be,” he said. “We handwrite a little note in there about what an inspiration they are, and that’s what people love to hear – that people are seeing their growth and everybody’s fighting for them, praying for them.”
Three local cancer patients, one from Dorchester, one from Crete and one from Milford, received money through last year's event.
The organization tries to distribute most of the checks before Christmas, while saving the remaining funds for people who request assistance throughout the year.
“Cancer doesn't happen just one time a year, so we wanted to be able to help people that in the summer say, ‘Hey, I just got cancer. We're struggling. We had to sell the car, and then we can send them a couple thousand dollars,’” Ostrander said.
At last year's banquet, No Shave Nebraska raised nearly $173,000 and helped about 30 people, approximately three times as many as the initial event, which raised $54,000.
This year's banquet will begin with a happy hour and cash-only bar from 5 - 6 p.m. Food will be available until 6:30 p.m., followed by remarks from emcee Bill Busch at 6:45 p.m.
Comedian Gary Curtis will perform from 7 - 7:45 p.m.
“We believe that laughter is the best medicine,” Ostrander said.
The main event will begin at 8:20 p.m. The 30-minute program will feature a video with stories of inspiration and strength from past recipients or their family members.
“We have a couple of people from last year that'll be in the video, and that's one of the best parts of the night,” Ostrander said. “Seeing what they did with the money, seeing how grateful they were for it – it might only be like two or three families on that video, but it's nice so people can see these are real people that we're sending these checks to.”
The evening will conclude with a live auction lasting about an hour. Silent auction items will be available for bidding throughout the event.
The banquet is entirely volunteer-run, with community members and organizations donating food, auction items and more. Outside of a few event expenses not covered by donations, 100% of the money raised at the banquet goes directly to nominees.
People and organizations can purchase tables at different sponsorship levels to attend the event. To reserve a table or get involved, visit https://bit.ly/4sa5v0J.
Those interested in donating live or silent auction items or nominating someone to receive assistance from No Shave Nebraska can email noshavenebraska.gmail.com or contact Ostrander at (402) 984-3427.
