RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia man has not shaved his beard in five years. Brian Thompson is on a mission to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU by letting people vote on whether he should keep his whiskers or shave them off.
Thompson teamed up with the RVA Beard League to host the online fundraiser. Participants can donate $1 for one vote, $20 for five votes, or $50 to block or cancel five other votes.
Voting is open until Dec. 16, which is the five-year anniversary of when Thompson began growing out his beard.
Thompson said if the people vote for him to shave it off, it will be bittersweet. He has named his beard Petunia, inspired by his dog who loves to sniff flowers.
Thompson said he started trying to raise money to teach his own child the value of helping others.
"To teach my son that hey, one person can make a huge difference. That's what I want to really portray to him," Thompson said.
At last check, Team Save It has 34 votes, while Team Save it has 28.
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