AMHERST COUNTY, Va. – A local police department is kicking off No-Shave November a month early.
Amherst officers are hosting an event called Beards for Kids. From Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, members of the department are growing facial hair to support its fourth-annual Toy Drive Operation, which runs during the holidays.
“We’ve got to give these guys some time to actually grow some facial hair, so maybe having an extra month might help it a little bit. But, you know, it usually takes a good couple of months to raise the funds and actually get the toys in to make a very successful toy drive,” said Chief Robert Shiflett.
“I already have, I think, six sponsors that want to sponsor me. Several other officers have a couple of sponsors, as well. We’re a tight-knit community here,” said Officer Brandon Payne.
In 2020, the department donated more than 1,000 toys to children in need.