David Hutson grows beard to raise awareness, money for men's health

David Hutson is in a hairy situation.

One of the owners of Hutson's Fine Furniture in Cape Girardeau, he's been growing a beard since Nov. 1, 2015, to help raise money and awareness for men's-health issues.

On Nov. 1 of this year, it will be time to measure how long his facial hair has grown and alert everyone who pledged $10 to $20 per inch to send their money to no-shave.org, or The Movember Foundation, which raises money for prostate cancer, depression and other health issues affecting men.

The organization derives its name from the words "mustache" and "November," which is the month it designates each year for participants -- referred to as Mo Bros in no-shave parlance -- to grow mustaches and beards for the cause.

In Hutson's case, he decided to undertake his very own yearlong beard-growing effort to shake things up, since, for the past few years, the furniture store only allowed male employees to grow mustaches during "No-Shave November."

Plus, a close friend of Hutson's from high school was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago, not to mention members of his own family have suffered from men's-health issues over the years.

Dave Hutson poses for a photo Thursday in Cape Girardeau.LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

"Everybody out there probably knows someone or is related to someone or some way or another knows about prostate cancer," Hutson said.

In the case of his old classmate, "he's a survivor, but it makes you think."

Adding to the fun and fundraising is the fact Hutson auctioned off the opportunity for someone to shave his beard during the annual Charles L. Hutson Auction last Saturday.

The auction benefits Old Town Cape and was begun by Hutson's late father, Charles.

As it turns out, Gary Rust Sr. -- chairman of the board of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian -- is the one who will be wielding the razor, although the two haven't set a time or date just yet.

But Hutson is in no particular hurry.

"(The beard) doesn't bother me," he said, even though it's the first flowing crop of facial hair he's ever grown.

Grooming the beard doesn't faze him much, either; he just gives it a good shampoo in the shower each morning and towel-dries and combs it as he's getting ready for work.

Crumbs don't really get lodged in the beard, either. Or if they do, they're easy to flick away, he said.

Ice cream, however, is not a bearded man's best friend, Hutson has learned.

A previous mishap "required a little cleanup," he said.

And once his face is exposed to the air again?

"It's going to be a new-old experience."

ljones@semissourian.com

(573) 225-2979

Pertinent address:

43 S. Main St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.