Beard bragging rights

It was a heated and hairy race to the finish, but Jordan Blevins came out on top. Thanks to his followers, those willing to put their money on a bearded wonder, Blevins will not only have beard bragging rights, but a $100 gift card to Fisher’s Home & Hardware in Salem to show for his sleek and trim facial hairs.

Blevins said the response was “totally unexpected.” He did say, however, that once his family pulled together to vote for him, he thought he might have a chance to win. “When my family does something, they go into it 100%.”

Two beards followed close behind Blevins. Unfortunately they didn’t walk away with a prize, but they can still brag about their awesome beards. Toby Keltner and Mark Boling placed in second and third spots.

Blevins said his beard used to be longer, but once he had to start wearing masks at his job with Servpro, he decided to take on a more close shaven look. 

All the funds raised during the Furry Faceoff will benefit the Washington County Humane Society/Salem Animal Shelter and the Leader’s Newspaper in Education program.

Blevins has a fondness for animals and was glad to be able to help the shelter. “At one time, we had 16 dogs. My grandpa was a rabbit hunter, so we have never not had a dog.”

“We were thrilled with the response,” said Leader Publishing Company General Manager, Rhonda Smith. “We had 22 bearded entries, some had long beards, some were close shaven and one was a very cute baby.”

Blevins plans on giving his winning gift card to his dad, Wayne. “He’s always doing things around the house, so he can use it for one of his projects.”