Class of 2011 'MANning Up' For Charity

Things are getting hairy at the College of the Holy Cross — and for good reason.

It's "MANuary," a month-long celebration of "phenomenal facial hair," from Jan. 21 – Feb. 21, that will benefit Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. The beard growing contest, conceived of by sophomores Matthew Clemente and Mark Reeth, even has faculty and administrators putting down the razors and collecting pledges for charity.

Here's how it works. Male participants agree to grow their facial hair (in any form) for a month with the assistance of a female "sponsor," who, in addition to providing moral support when things get itchy, helps raise money and awareness of Locks of Love. This is the first year the fundraiser has been held at Holy Cross and 31 pairs of "MANuarians" and sponsors are taking part.

Each team has committed to raising at least $100, with 90 percent going to charity and 10 percent going to fund future events for the Class of 2011. Prizes will be given for the most money raised and the most outrageous facial hair.

The initiative has people talking — both on campus, and in the media.  Clemente and Reeth will appear live on Boston's FOX25 Morning News on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8:20 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. to talk more about their fundraising efforts. They will be joined by a stylist from Barbershop Lounge of Boston (catering exclusively to men's grooming), who will treat them to a shave on the air.

You can also follow their progress online at FOX25’s Web site.  In response to the producer's request, the pair has been posting blog entries, as well as daily photo updates of their facial hair, as a way to promote their cause and upcoming live segments.

In addition to the beard growing contest, students are also selling T-shirts (pictured above) and collecting straight donations. In the first three weeks of their month-long effort, they raised $1,754.

"We have set high goals for our participants," said Clemente, "and with hard work and continued effort we believe that the next two weeks will prove to be even more successful than the first two."

For additional information, e-mail Matt Clemente at mjclem11@holycross.edu, or make a donation online.

Related Information:

• "MANuary" blog