EASTON, Pa. – Some men are giving up their beards, all in the name of cancer awareness.
It’s the 9th Beards for Breasts event at Pearly Baker’s in Easton, raising money for the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
At Beards for Breasts, facial hair comes with a price tag.
Men take the stage, and the crowd bids to see those beards come off; all to raise money for the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
“When I was going through it, the cancer support community helped me tremendously. So, this is my way of giving back,” Organizer Sarah Trimmer says.
Sarah is a two-time breast cancer survivor. And the idea for the fundraiser started with a different kind of shave.
“When I learned that I needed chemo and I had to shave my head. Steve’s salon, Suddenly Samantha, in Easton. He actually shaved my head that night. And that was sort of how this came about,” Trimmer explains.
That moment between Steven and Sarah grew into a tradition, now in its ninth year.
“This was just a way to add a little light and fun to a terrible disease,” Organizer Steven Flowers says.
And for Raj Muddu, the stakes were high. He says he hasn’t fully shaved his beard since 2007.
“We were at 800-something, and I said, okay, let’s push it for another couple hundred. And I just threw that out and people just fed,” Muddu says.
The result? A half-shaved look courtesy of his son.
“I have to see myself in the mirror now,” Muddu says.
And more money for the cause.
“Steve was one of the organizers. He’s a regular customer of mine, and he inspired me to do this,” Muddu says. “And I thought, why not have some fun while raising some money for a good cause.”
Organizers Steve and Sarah say they’re already looking for more beards to shave at next year’s milestone event.