Nick Prosseda, a.k.a. Nicky the Barba, opened his first Modern Male Barbershop ten years ago last October. His goal was to create an atmosphere and culture where men and their sons can experience the camaraderie that was present in old-time shops; where grandfathers, fathers and sons got their hair cut.
With a sense of community spirit, arose a vision of giving back to those in need. So in 2013, Nick decided to enlist his barbers to donate their time to raising money to support men’s cancer awareness. Thus, Grow-A-Pair Cut-A-Thon was born.
The Grow-A-Pair Foundation is a non-profit organization that encourages men to get regular checkups for prostate and testicular cancer before it’s too late.
“We want to encourage men to put their pride aside and go get regular checkups,” said Prosseda.
This year, the 7th Annual Grow-A-Pair Cut-A-Thon event was held at the newly opened Modern Male Barber Academy. The entire staff of Modern Male barbers, along with select guest barbers provided $22 haircuts. Participates from other local barbershops included Justin Gambacorta (J’s Barber), Michael Checo (Stache Barber Shop), Tim O’Brien (Men’sClub Barber Shop) and George Ortiz (American Barber Academy).
This year’s event set a record shattering $15,000 in donations to help combat men’s cancer. All of the proceeds from the event are being donated to Abington Jefferson Health.
“Today, men die on-average six years younger than women, and the reason is largely preventable. Cancer is among the most common causes of death in adult males in the U.S.,” Prosseda said.
Since the inception of the fundraiser, all proceeds help fund treatment, further educate those on preventative care and provide transportation to-and-from their appointments.
Continuing philanthropic endeavors, Modern Male is donating $2,000 to a 7-year-old boy named Gabriel who is currently fighting cancer. Gabriel was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, insurance will not cover these vital treatments, which will ultimately aid in Gabriel’s recovery.
“Cancer has touched some of the staff,” Prosseda said. “My father passed away from cancer when I was young, so I want to do what I can to raise awareness about men’s health and cancer. My employees and the community have done a great deal to support this effort.”
See also:
Lansdale Cuts Ribbon on Modern Male Barber Academy
Imprint Beer Co. Releases IPA to Support Cancer Charities
Charity Car Wash Raises $5,200 for Local Boy with Bone Cancer
Taylor Goettner, Newlywed Cancer Patient, Dies at 26
Local Comedian Overwhelmed By Support Following Cancer Diagnosis
