Youngstown residents square off in beard comp

  • 2014-05-23
Things got hairy in Youngstown on Saturday, May 10, when a facial hair competition was held to raise money for Summit Academy.

The Rust Belt Whisker Society held the contest at Suzie's Dogs and Drafts, and the city was full of bearded people that day— with children and women taking part as well as men.

The contest had more than 10 categories, some of which didn't require contestants to grow their own ‘face fuzz’. Men's categories included styled and natural facial hair, but there were also categories for women and children. Kids were encouraged to be creative in making their own beards, while women were urged to make beards of different types of material. The men were assessed on their beards' shape, detail, density, and on how well it looked on the individual.

Event organizer Anthony Fonts said the day was organized with two purposes in mind. The first was to encourage men to grow beards if they wanted to do so, and have them accepted in workplaces. The second was to raise money for Summit Academy. With two campuses in Youngstown, Summit is designed to help students with ADHD, autism, and similar disorders that can make learning difficult.

The Whisker Society could work with brochure printers next year to raise awareness of the contest, and the importance of Summit Academy.