I am going to start with the origin of my beard. For several years, my wife and I were trying to have a baby. We had experienced several heartbreaks along the way. I could see the love and want for a child my wife was carrying, along with sadness in her heart. In December 2011 while traveling in Japan, I met a man from Norway named Tor. He told me, “In my country if you are a father, you have a beard.” I decided to give it a go and let mine grow. In May 2011, I found out my wife was pregnant! Then, in February 2012, we had a beautiful, healthy baby girl, and I had a glorious red beard.
I now see the same love, want, and sadness in some dear friends of mine. I want to give The Blanchards the same love in their lives that I have every day! I can attest to the love they have by the way they care for each other and my own daughter. Should something ever happen to my wife and me, I feel Our Girl would be abundantly loved in their safekeeping. The Blanchards have decided to adopt! However, the process of adoption is lengthy and expensive. While I cannot speed up time, I feel that we can relieve the financial burden.
I have decided to publicly shave my beloved beard in an effort to raise funds for our friends. I invite you to share in this process in several ways: 1) I ask you to give generously. We all have children in our lives, whether they are born to us or you have chosen to take them in-- and you can’t put a price tag on that love—so give what you can! 2) Join in the “Shavings for Savings” effort by choosing a hairy spot in need of a good shave, gather sponsors willing to watch you grow it out and razor it smooth. All money raised goes towards lowering adoption costs. Grow a beard, razor an eyebrow, shave a pit, cut a leg, shear a head…the possibilities are limitless. I will shave my beard on the first day of spring, March 20, 2013 in Edmond, Oklahoma. This is the time when flowers bloom and new life abounds…
A PayPal account has been set up in The Blanchards’ name and 100% of the proceeds will be applied to offset the cost of their adoption. If, by a miracle , we raise more than needed the remainder will go to the Touch a Life Foundation to help end child trafficking.
If you would like to help out by actively participating in “Shavings for Savings” please contact me:
beardfortheblanchards@gmail.com
