Donators will decide: Beard on or off? Victoria man’s facial hair helps homeless
Brian Bates is having a very beardy Christmas.
For two years, the Victoria man has been growing his facial hair — achieving, in his own words, a “wizardly” appearance — after asking the public to vote on whether or not to shave it. In 2014, Beard On voters squeaked out a win over Beard Off voters, including Bates’ own mother, and his beard hasn’t seen a scissor since.
This Christmas, he figures it’s time to put his face in the hands of the Internet once again — and he’s enlisted two hairy pals, Nicholas Johnson and Braeden Papp, to join him.
Like the 2014 crowdfunding campaign, anyone can vote by making a donation to one of two CauseVox sites: Beard On or Beard Off. The money will go toward feeding Victoria’s homeless through the Victoria Cool Aid Society.
“If Beard Off wins, we’ll all shave,” said Bates, who, in the interest of remaining impartial, will not divulge which side he’s rooting for.
He admits it’s been tough keeping his beard in line. “It’s getting kind of unsightly,” he said. The wispy bits at the bottom are particularly difficult to manage, as is the need for daily shampooing. He’s also had to put up with strange growth stages, like when one side of his moustache seemed to be outpacing the other. “It really takes a lot of maintenance,” he said.
Thankfully, Bates works in IT and doesn’t deal with the public in his job.
When Bates decided it was time to launch another campaign, he wanted a group of bearded buddies to join him. He was surprised at how many turned him down before his friends Johnson and Papp stepped up.
“I guess men are quite protective,” he said. “They love and cherish and nurture their beards, so it’s hard to consider parting with it.”
Bates’ own family is divided over his chin. His mom still wants it off, while one of his sisters is Team Beard On and the other is Team Beard Off.
“Christmas dinner may be a little awkward,” he joked. “This has opened a rift in my family.”
The campaign closes Jan. 13. As of Saturday, Beard Off was ahead of Beard On by $55, with $1,655 pledged in total.