LYNCHBURG (WSLS 10) - There's a marathon underway in Lynchburg, but without the running. It's a race to grow a mustache to benefit local children's charities.
Lynchburg Police Detective Robbin Miller, a former Marine, isn't used to facial hair. But he's skipping the razor to benefit kids.
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"I normally don't have facial hair. Being a prior Marine Corps. I never had facial hair then, either, so this is kind a new to me," Miller said. "The police department is about helping other people. We do more than just arrest people. We're about reaching out to community and building community and we do that in different avenues."
Miller is one of nearly a dozen LPD officers taking part in Mustaches 4 Kids Lynchburg, or M4K, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club and Court Appointed Special Advocates for children (CASA) of Lynchburg.
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The mustache-growing season lasts four weeks. Growers must shave their faces - except for their mustache - at least once a week, all while collecting donations.
Then they will compete in a 'stache bash' at the end of the season December.
"It's kind of a fun way for us to compete against each other to help the kids," Miller explained.
But with that fun comes a little bit of a sacrifice, especially for detective Miller's wife.
Miller explained, "the wife's not a real keeper on the mustache. So I assume it will be gone after the benefit is over. But, like I said, it's all in good fun. We're having a blast doing it."
Donations can be made for any grower on the M4K Lynchburg website, but Miller said he will go the extra mile for his largest donor in the facial hair marathon.
"I'll die my hair whatever color they want me to dye it; make it a Mohawk for a day; I'll shave it completely. Whatever they want," Miller promised.