Alva Review-Courier -

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — As the founder of a beard club, Omar Shifrin looks the part of a manly man.

With a well-maintained beard that reaches nearly to his elbows, Shifrin looks exactly like a guy who values facial hair, though his look comes at a cost, The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/2j4ea5b ) reports.

"My wife says I spend more time getting ready than she does," Shifrin said while eating lunch recently at a Delano establishment. "There's a lot that goes into the health of your beard. There are beard oils and beard balms - there are a lot of products."

Shifrin, who lives in Valley Center, is the president of the Bearded Monkey Social Club, a facial hair fraternity that he started in 2014. The club, which now has about 15 members, has regular meetings and offers members the chance to compete in facial hair competitions.

As the Wichita-area facial hair club scene goes, Bearded Monkey is just one of the options. The others include the Bearded Villains of Kansas, which is based in Wichita but has members statewide, and the Wichita Beard and Mustache Club.

Despite the relatively small number of official members, the Wichita Beard and Mustache Club features close to 900 Facebook members on its public group page. The club - which was formed in 2012 - describes itself as being in existence "for anyone who can appreciate facial hair, no matter how big or small, young or old."

A hairy situation

Being in a facial hair club, Shifrin said, is about more than just having appreciation for a good beard. It's about camaraderie, having fun, raising money for charity and the expression of individuality and personal style.

"There's a lot of creativity that goes along with it," Shifrin said. "Everybody should have a little facial hair - well, guys anyway. Somebody at some point came up with the idea that a bald face looks better, but why would you want to look like everybody else?"

Being a female, however, doesn't disqualify one from being a Bearded Monkey member. Omar's wife, Katie Shifrin, also is a member and has competed in facial hair contests (with fake facial hair, of course).

"It's a lot of fun," Katie Shifrin said. "I competed as a pirate last year, but I didn't place. It's awesome being in the club."

The three Wichita clubs take part in or put on different events throughout the year, both in Wichita and outside the city. Omar Shifrin, 34, said he's competed in a number of cities - including St. Louis, Omaha and Nashville - since he took up the hobby a few years ago.

Shifrin plans to compete in an event or two this spring, but the next big event for his club is the third annual Midwest Facial Hair Showdown, which will take place in June at the Pumphouse in Old Town.

"We are a group of hairy men who just want to do some good for our community," said Andrew Bruso, the founder and president of the Wichita Beard and Mustache Club. "We also want to squash the stereotype that bearded people are bad."

Big hearts

As for the Bearded Villains of Kansas, they are part of an international organization of "elite bearded men" that was founded in Los Angeles in 2014, according to its website.

Despite its rather sinister name, the organization doesn't seem to be full of villains at all.

"We just finished our first Christmas adoption where we adopted a family of eight that has struggled to put food on the table," said Bearded Villain member Brandon Moxley. "We ended up collecting more than $700 through a raffle to provide presents and decorations for a less fortunate family.

"The beards just draw attention, but the entirety of our organization is about trying to eradicate the pretense that beards mean biker gang and lumberjack. We have big, bold beards but bigger, softer hearts."

In order to be a member of the Bearded Villains, Moxley said, recruits must first go through a probationary period before being accepted into the "brotherhood."

With his long beard, Shifrin said, he sometimes gets reactions from strangers who might ask whether he is a fan of bearded rockers ZZ Top or the Robertson family of "Duck Dynasty" fame.

Shifrin said he got the idea to start the club after the deaths of three of his grandparents from 2011 to 2014. Shifrin also has a son who has autism, which, he said, has given him a deep appreciation for what charitable organizations do.

One such organization is Heartspring, which offers residential and outpatient services for children with developmental disabilities and behavioral issues. Shifrin said Bearded Monkey has raised more than $1,000 for the Wichita-based nonprofit.

"The main thing was wanting to do something to help out in some way," Shifrin said. "I feel like I have to help. With our club, you get to help out and have a good time, too. It's pretty gnarly."