New Mexico State University President Garrey Carruthers is willing to pay money to get rid of his newly grown beard – it is just up to the community to determine exactly how much shaving the beard is going to cost. It’s all part of a fundraising event now underway to benefit Aggie Cupboard, a food pantry for students, staff and faculty in need of assistance.
Carruthers began growing the beard several weeks ago in preparation for NMSU’s Founders Day, April 10. The event will recognize NMSU’s founding and help the university celebrate its heritage. Carruthers committed to the event organizers to grow a beard like NMSU’s first president, Hiram Hadley, as part of the festivities. While Carruthers is eager to help with the Founders Day celebration, he’s also eager to once again shave his face.
“People in the community started coming up to me saying they’d pay money for me to keep the beard,” Carruthers said. “My response was that I would pay money to get rid of it. That’s when we thought maybe this could become a fundraiser to help people in need.”
Anyone wishing to participate can donate by visiting http://giving.nmsu.edu/AggieCupboard.html by midnight on April 10. In order to shave his beard, Carruthers must exceed the total money raised by the community by at least one dollar. For more information about the fundraiser, contact Andrea Tawney at 575-646-4917 or atawney@nmsu.edu.
Aggie Cupboard was founded in 2012 and is located in NMSU’s Garcia Annex. It operates through community donations and volunteer support. For more information on the Aggie Cupboard, visit aggiecupboard.nmsu.edu or contact Lori Martinez at 575-646-2731 ormlori@nmsu.edu.
Information from NMSU