A Cut Above

If you were on the Holy Cross campus recently and noticed some strange-looking beards, you weren’t imagining things.

From Jan. 21 through Feb. 21, it was “MANuary,” a month-long celebration of “phenomenal facial hair,” that was created by sophomores Matthew Clemente and Mark Reeth to raise funds for Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Thirty-one participants took part in the beard growing contest, raising more than $3,000. The male participants agreed to grow their facial hair (in any form) for a month with the assistance of a female “sponsor.”

Each team 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.

The contest drew the attention of Boston’s Fox 25 News. The pair was posting blog entries, as well as daily photo updates of their facial hair, on the news site as a way to promote their cause.

Clemente and Reeth, joined by Maryalice Gill ’11 and Jordan Jones ’12, appeared live on the station’s morning news on Feb. 25 to talk more about their fundraising efforts — and all their month-long hairy experiences. They were treated to a shave by Barbershop Lounge of Boston, which caters exclusively to men’s grooming. Watch the video.