Juanita High School’s Key Club celebrated its third annual No-Shave November fundraiser by raising $3,166 for Eastside Baby Corner, a local non-profit organization that provides essentials for young children. The Key Club students, headed by Paul Miller, and the Kiwanis members who support the school’s Key Club visited Eastside Baby Corner in Issaquah Jan. 22 to present them with the money and to tour their facility to see how their donation will be used.

As part of the fundraiser the person growing the beard agrees not to shave, cut, trim, or otherwise impede the growth of hair on their face or chin between Nov. 1-25.

For some of the students like senior Corey O’Neill, who sponsored and was sponsored by his girlfriend, the challenge was not so much about growing too long a beard as it was handling the unkempt appearance.

“For me it wasn’t that bad,” he said. “I don’t grow that much facial hair. It was just awkward and scratchy when I’d feel my chin. There were a lot of people like myself who could barely grow anything.”

The girls also participated by not shaving their legs or armpits, though the winter weather gave them a good excuse to cover up with pants or sweats.

If they achieve this goal, their sponsor donates $10. If the person shaves before Nov. 25 (before Thanksgiving) the sponsor only donates 25 cents for every consecutive day the person did not shave after Nov. 1.

“Usually everyone makes it through,” O’Neill said. “I haven’t heard of anyone giving in.”

In addition to the individual challenge, teachers agreed to wear some sort of crazy facial hair for November if their classes donated $50 the last week of October.

Though the fundraiser has only been held for a few years, O’Neill said the number of people participating has greatly increased.

“It’s really taken off,” he said.