Their carefully cultivated efforts delivered almost four-fold: a $5000 target was far eclipsed by the $18,000 they raised for Ballarat Specialist School.

Mr Thompson’s beard started as a “bit of fun between mates” three years ago that just kept growing. Inspired in a visit to the school, where his nephew Dylan is in kindergarten, Mr Thompson took a good look in the mirror to determine how he could help.

That was more than six months ago. Now, the donation means so much more.

Ballarat Specialist School had started a proposal for a new early learning centre play space that has since been knocked back for grants.

BSS acting principal Sam Sheppard said such a huge, hairy boost would allow the school to start work on the play space immediately, with a scheduled finish for term one.

Plus, there is the possibility for a second similar play space at the school’s Norman Street farm campus.

“The cubby house will probably be the centepiece,” Mr Sheppard said.

“...To me, it really hit home at the Miners Rest Tavern when I saw all the community heart. No-one noticing anything different about anyone else – that’s what this school is all about.”

Mr Thompson said the beard shave event a fortnight ago was just a sideshow.

His proudest, most important moment was delivering the final balance to the school with Mr Mason on Friday afternoon. They met his nephew and Mr Mason’s son Xavier in the yard.

The overall aim, they said, was to try and raise more community awareness for the special support and learning environments the school offered for its 470 students.

Along the way, as their beards grew, they met so many people who felt the same.

“A lot of these kids are in their own kinda world and the staff all help them on whatever individual journey each is on,” Mr Thompson said. “When you see a result like that (money raised), you can see how many people helped us do it. It’s just so generous.”

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