“I’m so glad No-Shave November is finally here. Now I don’t have to shave my legs for an entire month” is a statement that can definitely be overheard spilling from teenage girls’ mouths in high schools throughout the country.

Contrary to popular belief, No-Shave November is not meant to be an excuse for teenage girls everywhere not to shave their legs for a month, but instead is supposed to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

No-Shave November is intended to be a month for participants to forgo shaving in an attempt to evoke conversation and raise awareness about cancer. Anyone who partakes is also supposed to donate the money that they would normally spend on shaving materials to charities dedicated to cancer research.

A large majority of people, however, use No-Shave November as a convenient excuse to not shave for a month, but don’t actually partake in the main point of the event: the fundraising efforts. While much of the campaign’s initial purpose was to raise awareness and to help with cancer research that affected men specifically, now anyone can participate and the money benefits all cancer research.

Girls are, therefore, not wrong in wanting to participate in No-Shave November, but should do so only if they are willing to fully participate. That means actually donating money towards the cause that they would normally spend on razors and shaving cream or soap and not just going without shaving out of pure laziness and call it supporting the cause.

Many people don’t realize that No-Shave November is an actual online organization, where you can register to be a participant. Participants can either compete against each other to see who can raise the most money by forming teams or can sign up as individuals. Friends, family members and anyone else that wants to can then donate to any participant registered to aid in their efforts to raise money for the cause.

No-Shave November donates no less than 80 percent of all of the money earned to the charities with whom they are partnered. This year those charities include the American Cancer Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

While No-Shave November has been a tradition for some people for many years, it didn’t become an actual organization until 2009. The official organization came together with the charity component that year following one family’s loss of their father to colon cancer.

Though many people don’t recognize it, No-Shave November is a very unique cause that supports cancer research and spreads awareness and is not meant to be an excuse for lazy teenage girls. Next time you think about No-Shave November, consider its actual purpose and not just its convenience.