Photo courtesy of Gabe Ferguson.
Homewood Police officers play basketball with members of the Exceptional Foundation.
The officers patrolling Homewood’s streets might look a little hairier than usual for the rest of the year.
If so, it’s because the Homewood Police Department is in the middle of its third annual Beards for Bucks fundraiser.
From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, HPD officers can donate $33 per month to grow out beards and mustaches, Detective Gabe Ferguson said.
Last year, the fundraiser ran through January and raised $6,000 through officer and outside donations.
“I’d say the biggest majority of officers participated,” Ferguson said.
This year, the donation recipients will be The Exceptional Foundation, the Lakeshore Foundation, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama and the AHERO Foundation, an Alabama nonprofit for wounded veterans. Ferguson said the department’s goal is to exceed last year’s total.
“We’re always wanting to improve and get better,” he said.
Ferguson said the officers usually enjoy Beards for Bucks and can choose to grow their facial hair for part or all of the three-month campaign. Many officers will be wearing their beards for the annual Exceptional Foundation basketball game, which will be sometime later this month, and Ferguson said the department also wants to schedule a rematch from last year’s wheelchair flag football game at the Lakeshore Foundation.
The Homewood Police Department is selling Beards for Bucks T-shirts during the fundraiser for $13, with all of the proceeds going to one of the four charities.
The public can purchase a shirt by visiting HPD and asking for a community relations officer or donate through the Homewood Police Foundation by emailing homewoodpolicefoundation@charter.net.
