HDR’s Portland office holds hairy event for good cause

By: Rick Arnett//December 7, 2015//

HDR’s Portland office holds hairy event for good cause

Rick Arnett//December 7, 2015//

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Top row, left to right: Joe Kirkland, Glitter Beard; Joseph Jacobus, Half & Half; Kevin Johns, the Andrew Luck; Oliver Kuehne, Neck Beard; Dustin Cooley, Monkey Tail. Bottom row, left to right: Mike Komorowski, the Racetrack; Tom Shook, Bicycle Cop; Kyle Stanton, Marathon Beard; Joseph Plaugher, Neck Beard; Steve Meicke, Lightning Bolts. (Sam Tenney/91视频)

The employees at HDR‘s Portland office recently took advantage of an opportunity to let their hair down for a good cause. A dozen engineers, accountants and financial professionals grew beards for several weeks and then held an auction for them to shave their beards in outrageous ways and wear them to work the following day.

Mike Pimomo was the office's highest earner with the "Cop 'Stache.鈥� The mustache fetched $925 at auction, which came with the stipulation that Pimomo was not allowed to shave it until February unless he raised additional funds equal to or above the auction price . He did, and the now-shaved mustache brought in a total of $1920. — Mike Pimomo was the office’s highest earner with the “Cop ‘Stache.鈥� The mustache fetched $925 at auction, which came with the stipulation that Pimomo was not allowed to shave it until February unless he raised additional funds equal to or above the auction price . He did, and the now-shaved mustache brought in a total of $1920.

The participants worked with Movember, a nonprofit group, to raise money for prostate cancer research. But the event is for more than a good cause.

鈥淚t’s really a good time,鈥� said Kevin Johns, organizer of the HDR Portland event since 2010. 鈥淲e have a few beers while we do the presentation and everyone sorta loosens up. It gets to be pretty funny.鈥�

A PowerPoint presentation explains the charity and the methods of the event to the assembled employees and includes a number of 鈥渂efore and after鈥� photos of previous years’ participants.聽 Those who volunteer to grow beards are then auctioned off and subject to shaving their beard according to the wishes of the highest bidder. Besides the typical 鈥渟have half of your face鈥� beard, some of the designs can get quite creative, according to Johns.

On 鈥淢ovember Day,鈥� held this year on Nov. 24, the participants wear their engineered beards for the entire work day, eliciting chuckles, headshakes and smiles throughout the office.

HDR will match this year’s pledged amounts with an additional $1,000 to bring the total amount raised for November 2015 to $4,600.

HDR will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2017. The company has grown from a single office to become a global firm with more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 200 in Portland.

鈥淎s far as I know, Portland is the only (HDR) office participating in Movember,鈥� said Lisa Snowden, who handles media relations for the firm. 鈥淏ut each office has their favored charities and community projects, and HDR is committed to support them.鈥�

Kyle Stanton, right, stands before HDR co-workers as they bid on his facial hair style. The winning bid was for Stanton to not shave his beard until February 2016, when he will transfer to the firm's Bend office. (Sam Tenney/91视频) — Kyle Stanton, right, stands before HDR co-workers as they bid on his facial hair style. The winning bid was for Stanton to not shave his beard until February 2016, when he will transfer to the firm’s Bend office. (Sam Tenney/91视频)

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