Bevin wants you to tell him what to do with his beard ... and support a charity

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin is letting the public decide the fate of his beard for a charity backed by his wife, first lady Glenna Bevin.

Bevin, who has been sporting a full beard in recent weeks, invited people to visit http://governor.ky.gov/ShaveorGrow, donate and vote to determine what he should do with his facial hair.

A news release from his office Wednesday said every dollar donated equals one vote and the tax-deductible contributions will benefit Mrs. Bevin’s foundation, #WeAreKY! Inc. that supports children through foster care and adoption initiatives.

Voters have five options from which to choose, with descriptions provided by Bevin:

1. The Samson (a continued full beard, inspired by the Old Testament judge)

2. The Anchorman (a 1970s-style mustache, a la fictional newsman Ron Burgundy)

3. The Fu Manchu (a horseshoe-shaped goatee, on frequent display during the 1980s)

4. The Colonel (a Van Dyke beard, in homage to iconic poultry purveyor Col. Harland Sanders)

5. The Clean Shave (the runaway favorite of most post 19th-century commonwealth chief executives)

“For three months I have heard many comments about my beard,” said Bevin. “Most women hate it, 100 percent of bearded men love it and most folks have opinions somewhere in between.

“Glenna and I have a passion for Kentucky’s 9,000 foster youth and ask you to please consider making a generous tax-deductible contribution to the #WeAreKY!Foundation.”

Bevin added that voting will “help make a big difference in the life of a young person in the Commonwealth — and have fun letting your opinion on my facial hair be heard while you’re doing it.

“Vote early and often.”

Online voting will end at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

A note on Bevin’s release said a 2.75 percent convenience fee will be collected on each transaction by website administrator Kentucky Interactive.

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 12:53 PM.