Mayor sports beard for men's health

PEABODY — It’s hair today, for Mayor Ted Bettencourt, but gone tomorrow.

Probably. 

In either case, if you’ve spotted the mayor recently and he looks like he’s in the middle of a month-long vacation, don’t be fooled. Yes, he’s put away his razor, but it’s not in the name of leisure or of fashion. Rather, Bettencourt is growing a beard as part of “Movember,” a movement calling for men everywhere to grow facial hair during November to draw attention, and donations, toward men’s health issues.

“It’s growing on me,” he says of the beard, meaning it in more ways than one. Stroking his chin, he adds, “I’m having some fun with it. My wife likes it. My kids like it.”

As part of the effort, the mayor has a page at Movember.com where supporters can pledge donations to medical research. “I’m specifically raising money for prostate cancer.”

He’s noncommittal when asked if the beard is something he might like to keep. 

In the late 19th century, beards were all but required for American politicians, as an observer could confirm with a glance at a small statue in the mayor’s office depicting his hero, Abraham Lincoln. But there was an aspect of the beard that Lincoln never revealed. 

“It’s amazing how itchy it is,” Bettencourt concedes. “It’s a little outside my comfort zone.” 

At the mention of his January swearing-in ceremony, the newly re-elected mayor suggests that the beard will be gone by then.

Mayor sports beard for men"s health