The beard abides.
The fate of Brian Bates’s facial hair has been decided by family, friends and complete strangers in an Internet competition designed to raise money for a Victoria-area charity.
In early December, Bates launched a crowdfunding campaign on CauseVox asking people to donate to one of two sites — Beard On or Beard Off — with the proceeds from both going to help the homeless.
With $1,485 raised, the Beard On campaign squeaked out a win, and Bates’s glorious blond mane — a year’s work — will remain. The Beard Off campaign, strongly supported by Bates’s mother, came close with $1,255 in donations.
“I had resigned myself to shaving it,” Bates said Thursday, a few hours before the campaign’s midnight close. “I was expecting a landslide, so I was shocked to see it come this close.”
Bates will donate all the money to the Victoria Cool Aid Society, which runs several supportive housing buildings and shelters, in addition to a health and community centre, helping about 9,000 Victoria homeless each year.
The society is planning a “decorating event” in the beard’s honour.
