$617.26 for LIVESTRONG

What a great time had by all! We couldn’t be more pleased with how well the event turned out for having only 3-4 weeks to plan and promote.

We had three main objectives – have fun, raise money for a great cause and build excitement for next year’s competition.  With 14 contestants and over $1600 in cash and prizes to raffle and give to the winners, there was hardly an empty seat in the pub.

We managed to raise a total of $946 for this event and after giving away $100 to the three 1st place winners and paying a few expenses, we managed to donate $617.26 to the LIVESTRONG Foundation yesterday. THANK YOU, Springfield, for helping make this possible.

Although pictures will be available later this week, we wanted to get the names of the winners out to everyone and publicly congratulate them for showing their hair on Saturday night.  Thank you to EVERYONE who entered; there wouldn’t be a competition without you.  Winners for each category are:

Mustache:
1st Place – Chris Slater
2nd Place – Andrew VanZyll

Partial Beard:
1st Place – Jason White
2nd Place – Jorden Hyde

Full Beard:
1st Place – Joe Livingston
2nd Place – Joe Seigel

Now with the first two objectives accomplished, it’s time to further the excitement for next year’s competition.  Several of the contestants expressed interest in forming a local Beard Team USA chapter and we’d like to schedule a time talk more about it.  If you’re interested in being on the contact list for this, please email c.claybaker@mac.com.

Finally, let’s support our local bearded ones as they journey to Bend, OR, for the 1st Annual Beard Team USA National Competition.  This is the first time a national (not international) competition has taken place in the US and we’re excited to have TWO SPRINGFIELD LOCALS competing next weekend on June 5 – Devin Cara and Curtis Claybaker.  Please show your support by helping spread the word.

Thanks, again, to everyone involved.  Special thanks to Kristen from Q102 for the pre-event promotions, Brock from Q102 for announcing at the event, Heather Volz & Jennifer Brown for rocking the registration table and prize raffle, Dave Harp for your creativity with the NPR beard-related interview clips before the event, and our guest judge Manda Skidmore for helping set up and judge the event.

Finally, Springfield, here’s another shout out to our event sponsors who we COULD NOT have done this without:

PATTON ALLEY PUB
Q102
COORS BANQUET
DYNAMIC EDGE MARTIAL ARTS
THE MOVE STUDIO
CHRISTYSPHOTO.COM
SUNSHINE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR
WIRED WOODS STUDIO
FITNESS 19
WEED MAN
GREAT WHITE GRAFIX
FERGUSON ROOFING
ID Salon
Dancing Mule Coffee Company
Body Piercing by QuiQui
Juice Plus
MaMa Jean’s Natural Market

Looking forward to next year!