Barry the Beard

Meet Barry. Who's Barry? Barry is a beard, and not a plain one. Barry is Mr. Niggles' grizzly beard, and he's not only huge, hairy and heavy, but he also serves a beautiful goal by being the mascot of an organization against skin cancer. So, to be clear right away, let's tell the story of how Barry was born. Mr. Niggles, also known as Jimmy Niggles, is an Australian guy whose dear friend Wes discovered a mole in his neck in 2009. This mole turned out to be melanoma, which is a dangerous form of skin cancer, and Wes died not long afterwards.

The tragic loss of his mate inspired Mr. Niggles and his friends to create awareness for skin cancer. They did so by growing beards, which all stand out a lot (as you won't deny!) and have an important message to tell: check your skin and know what to look for! It's a way of telling people that it's important to know the signs of skin cancer, before it's too late. Mr. Niggles and his friends started 'Beard Season', which is an organization that invites guys to grow a beard in winters and become ambassadors in the fight against melanoma. Check out their site 'This is Beard' for all the guys who already did this. So to every guy who reads my blog from time to time, a beard is not only a fashion statement or a way to attract girls (me, at least), it's also a great way to make a change. What's holding you back? Start growing those beards!