Bearded men and women come together to raise funds for Pink Warrior Angels, a local nonprofit organization that supports cancer patients.

NOLANVILLE — Bearded men and women gathered at the Pit Stop Bar & Grill in Nolanville over the weekend to participate in a charity beard and mustache competition. The event aimed to raise funds for Pink Warrior Angels, a Copperas Cove-based nonprofit organization that provides support to individuals battling cancer. This year marked the fourth time that the Central Texas Beard and Mustache Club organized the competition, and they hope to establish a long-term partnership with Pink Warrior Angels.

Joey Vondran, the sergeant at arms for the Central Texas Beard and Mustache Club, emphasized the universal impact of cancer. He stated, “Cancer just hits everybody…There’s not a person here that isn’t suffering — from somebody they know or maybe themselves or a survivor.” Vondran’s wife is a cancer survivor, and he estimated that half of the participants in the competition were also survivors.

Within just a few hours of the Saturday night event, the Central Texas Beard and Mustache Club had already surpassed their fundraising goal of $10,000 for this year. The club raised money through various means, including live auctions, raffle ticket sales, vendor fees, and competition fees. The event featured several competition categories and had 45 vendors in attendance.

Honest Amish, a natural beard product supplier based in Pennsylvania, served as the title sponsor for the event for the past four years. Aaron Johnston, the director of marketing for Honest Amish, expressed his admiration for the beard community and his commitment to supporting events like this one. He commended the Central Texas Beard and Mustache Club for choosing Pink Warrior Angels as the beneficiary of this year’s funds. Johnston stated, “I think it’s beautiful, and this Pink Warrior Angels group has really helped this club…I think they’ve formed a really good partnership and I think maybe moving forward, they’ll do more things together.”

The collaboration between the Central Texas Beard and Mustache Club and Pink Warrior Angels highlights the importance of community involvement and support in the fight against cancer. By coming together and using their unique platform, the bearded community is making a positive impact and helping those in need. This partnership serves as an inspiring example of how different groups can work together to make a difference and create meaningful change.