Dollars shave club: Beard lopped off for charities

It took Dave Hutson a year to grow a beard 7 1/4 inches long, but it took about a half hour to have it shaved all off Wednesday in front of a crowd of 50 people at Port Cape Girardeau in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Gary Rust Sr., chairman of the board of Rust Communications which owns the Southeast Missourian, won the auction Sept. 10 to shave Hutson. Rust paid $1,500 at the Charles L. Huston Auction that benefited Old Town Cape. Rex Rust, co-president of Rust Communications, did the shaving honors.

Old Town Cape executive director Marla Mills was hoping the auction to shave Hutson's beard would raise at least $500.

"It's awesome that he let it be used in that way," Mills said.

Hutson began growing his beard, complete with a mustache that eventually curled past his bottom lip, to honor his father, Charles, who died of prostate cancer in 2003.

Rex Rust, co-president of Rust Communications, shaves Dave Hutson's beard Wednesday at Port Cape Girardeau in downtown Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

He and his family also encouraged donations to the No-Shave November and Movember not-for-profits that raise money for men's-health issues such as testicular and prostate cancers.

They tried to get as many people as possible to pledge a certain amount of money per beard inch.

Not counting Wednesday, the Hutsons had raised about $10,000 total, according Jerra Hutson.

"This is huge, super huge," Dave Hutson said.

The family also donated $500 to match the winning bid to shave Dave Hutson.

Rex Rust, co-president of Rust Communications, wipes the leftover shaving cream from Dave Hutson's head and face Wednesday at Port Cape Girardeau in downtown Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

Jerra Hutson said her brother-in-law took his beard seriously from the beginning, even when he was getting grief for his likeness to Santa Claus.

Hutson's Fine Furniture employees showed solidarity by wearing No-Shave November bow ties.

"I really didn't know what to expect," Dave Hutson said of the turnout.

Dave Hutson said he's going to miss the beard, and it's going to be different.

But now that it's gone, he said he was going to grow just a mustache for the rest of November.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address: 19 N. Water St., Cape Girardeau.