Alabama Man Named Most 'Benevolent Beard' in America, Celebration to Include FREE Beard Trims at Crimson Tide Game

-National contest from men's grooming leader Wahl^® awards $20,000 to winner and $5,000 to winner's charity-

STERLING, Ill., Nov. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nine years ago, Rodney Smith Jr. from Huntsville, AL, was driving his usual route when he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn — so he stopped to help. That moment sent him on a path to mowing lawns for the elderly, disabled and veterans in his community. Soon, parents saw what he was doing and asked if their kids could get involved. From there, it grew into a national organization with more than 5,000 kids called Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Inc.

Smith's talent to trim lawns also extends to his beard, and his ability to combine good grooming with goodwill earned him the Grand Prize in the Wahl^® 'Benevolent Beards' Contest. The win comes with $20,000 for himself, and $5,000 for his charity. He'll also be crowned the new 'Wahl Man of the Year,' when Wahl^® hosts him at a beard grooming event during the University of Alabama football game on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.

Kids participate in Smith's charity by signing up for a '50 Yard Challenge,' and once they mow 50 yards for free, they're gifted a lawn mower. "To date, more than 400 kids have completed the '50 Yard Challenge,' and I'm so proud to have a handful of those kids stand beside me on the 50-yard line as I accept my win," explained Smith. "These kids are the backbone of the charity, so I can't wait for them to be recognized by thousands of Roll Tide fans."

Facial Haired Fans Wanted at Crimson Tide Game

In celebration of Smith's win, Wahl^® will park its giant Mobile Barbershop on Champions Lane outside Bryant-Denny Stadium on game-day Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (central). All whiskers are welcome to visit the barbershop, and for every FREE beard trim Wahl^® will donate $100 to support his charity Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Inc., up to $5,000.

About the Wahl^® 'Benevolent Beards' Contest

The Wahl^® 'Benevolent Beards' Contest started this past April with a quest to discover guys who are making the world a 'bearder' place to live. The goal was to reward bearded men who are doing good through charitable efforts. Men from across the country submitted a video of themselves either explaining or demonstrating how they support a charity. What kind of charity? As long as it was a 501(c)(3) organization with a goal to impact the world positively, all charities were considered. Five fuzzy-faced finalists were chosen, and America's votes decided the winner. The following runners-up have all spread bearded benevolence in their own unique ways:

• Jaime Shepherd from Los Angeles, CA, lost his 18-year-old nephew Kam to gun violence in 2020. A talented football player, cherished friend and beloved son, Kam's death rocked his community. At Kam's memorial service, 300 young men stood together and vowed to make a change, and Kam's mother pledged that she would help them. That was the beginning of Smile 4 Kam. The charity offers college scholarships, financial literacy, job search coaching and mentorship to the youth of South Central Los Angeles.
  
  
• Matthew Nadu from Bradenton, FL, left Hollywood and the entertainment industry in 2021 on a search to help men find purpose and meaning in their lives. That led him to permaculture and Echo Farms, an organization that teaches small-scale, natural and sustainable farming methods to millions of people and displaced families around the world so they can provide food for themselves and their communities. By becoming a servant leader and getting back to the land, tackling hunger at the source, Matthew believes this will help people grow hope from the ground up and empower them to live more abundant and fruitful lives.
  
  
• Amos Albert from Chicago, IL, is a U.S. Navy veteran who was honorably discharged following an injury while on duty. In 2019, he attended a professional basketball game with Operation Warrior Wishes, an organization that brings thousands of veterans to professional sporting events completely free of charge. On this first trip, Amos saw just how beneficial the organization was to veterans struggling with return to civilian life. Now, Amos dedicates his time to the charity with a mission to honor military heroes and connect veterans from the battlefields to the ballfields.
  
  
• Joshua Buchter from Philadelphia, PA, is a marketing professional who has donated his expertise to organizing fundraising events for Little Smiles, a charity with a mission to help heal hearts and create little smiles by providing gifts and fun activities to children impacted by serious illness, tragedy and trauma.

For more information about the Wahl^® 'Benevolent Beards' Contest, or for facial hair tips and tools visit WahlUSA.com or follow @WahlGrooming on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. And to learn more about how you can further support the contest participants' causes, visit their respective charity websites.

About Wahl Grooming
Celebrating its 105^th anniversary, Wahl^® continues to help men look and feel their best with innovative products manufactured to define and elevate the men's grooming category. The company set the standard with the first-ever practical electric hair clipper in 1919, and later strengthened its leadership with the world's first battery-powered facial hair trimmer. It's this continued commitment to excellence that has solidified Wahl^®'s place as the world's go-to brand for men's grooming solutions. For more information, visit WahlUSA.com.

Download Images of Rodney Smith Jr.:
https://cloud.hoffmanyork.com/portal/s/1978517079344104162

Download Mobile Barbershop Images:
https://cloud.hoffmanyork.com/portal/s/0135253929701192844061

Download Mobile Barbershop B-Roll:
https://cloud.hoffmanyork.com/portal/s/02115507043799094447

SOURCE WAHL