Time to get your beard on

NEW YORK – The Beard-A-Thon®, presented by Just For Men® is back and hockey fans across North America are invited to join in a great hockey tradition and grow their own playoff beards for the 2014 Stanley Cup® Playoffs. While supporting their team, beard growers will also raise money for hockey charities across North America.

In the past five seasons, more than 30,000 fans have participated in the Beard-A-Thon program raising over $2.5 million for hockey related charities. This season, the goal is to raise an additional $1 million through the participation of beard growing fans across the country.

To participate in Beard-A-Thon, fans can sign up at www.beardathon.com. Fans can choose their favorite NHL team and invite family, friends and business associates to pledge their playoff beards. By receiving pledges, participants promise not to shave until their team wins the Stanley Cup® or is eliminated from the playoffs. If your favorite team did not make the playoffs, we encourage fans to show their passion for hockey by growing a playoff beard for Hockey Fights Cancer™. Hockey Fights Cancer™ is a charitable initiative founded by the NHL and the NHL Players Association.

Fans who are unwilling (or unable) to grow playoff beards can still get involved by supporting their beard-growing friends and the participating NHL players that are growing their beard to support Beard-A-Thon.

Last season, fans of the Boston Bruins led all teams by raising over $115,000 for The One Fund. Some of the participating charities for this season include the Garden of Dreams Foundation (New York Rangers), Kings Care (Los Angeles Kings), the Mario Lemieux Foundation (Pittsburgh Penguins), and the St. Louis Blues 14 Fund. All proceeds remain in the participating NHL clubs market.

For more information on Beard-A-Thon, visit www.beardathon.com.