For four months last winter, deputies and detectives were decidedly more scruffy.

Deputy Jason Gross organized a “Beard for Bucks” fundraiser within the department, raising $1,020 to be split evenly between the Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Island resource centers. The money will be delivered this week.

“We don’t do any fundraisers and I thought, ‘This could benefit us (by not shaving) and the community,’” Gross said.

The campaign ran from Nov. 1, 2021 through the end of February. To participate, members of the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Sheriff’s Guild paid $20 per month to grow their facial hair.

“Even people who didn’t want to do it or couldn’t grow beards still donated,” Gross said.

Previously, sheriff’s office employees were prohibited from sporting any kind of hair on their faces. After Sheriff Ron Krebs was elected in 2014, he allowed goatees. During the “Beard for Bucks” campaign, a full beard was permitted.

The following staff and guild members participated or donated:

District 1, San Juan: Eric Peter, Rodney Nawn, Isaac Norton, Rion Brandt, Jay Holt, Dan Easley and Ron Krebs

District 2, Orcas: Sam Fowler, Ray Harvey, Bryce Peterson, Dave Alexander and Jason Gross

District 3, Lopez: Lukas Peter and Walker Vandenhazel.

For this coming November, the guild will open it up to the community to donate.