The Clip Joint Barber Shop announced that Jon Bogue was the winner of a recent beard contest, which raised $438 for the UCAN Gospel Mission in Jamestown. Pictured, from left, are Bogue, Vicki Aiken, Lacey Visker and Scott Linden, UCAN Mission program director. P-J photo by Katrina Fuller

Jon Bogue has a great beard, and everyone knows it now thanks to his recent win of the Clip Joint Beard Contest.

The contest was held to raise money for the UCAN Gospel Mission in downtown Jamestown. A donation of $5 was collected for each entry, and a photo of each participant was taken and put on Facebook for customers to vote for their favorite beard. People also donated in honor of their favorite facial hair.

A free haircut was the prize for the person who received the most “likes” on Facebook, while the person who received the most donations toward the cause won a package of products.

Bogue, UCAN Gospel Mission intake director, said he is donating his winnings of a haircut to the mission. Vicki Aiken, barber, added another haircut to the winnings, which will be given to men staying at the shelter at a later date. Aiken said she will bring her equipment to the mission to perform the good deed.

“It makes me want to cry just thinking that you guys are willing to do that,” Bogue said to her last week at her barber shop. “These gentlemen, they struggle. Some of them are dealt bad hands, it’s not like everybody in their put themselves in there. It’s all walks of life. I’m just very thankful for what the UCAN mission does — they started me on my walk. Six years ago, I lived there.”

Bogue said he is thankful for what the Clip Joint has done by fundraising.

Mission Program Director Scott Linden said the mission is “utterly reliant” on the donations of the community, businesses and other entities.

“This is a great effort that helps out with day-to-day operations, staffing and daily things that come up at the mission,” Linden said. “Everything helps. It’s just a blessing to be part of this.”

Aiken said she wanted to do something for the community, and a client, Chris Collins, suggested raising funds for the mission. She said she met with mission representatives and “felt very comfortable” moving forward with the fundraiser.

“We’ve had fun doing it,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of participation from clients and other people who heard about it.”