Sumter County deputies growing out beards for good cause

Sumter County sheriff’s deputies will be looking a little more burly for the next couple of months, but the beards are for a good cause.

Braden Bunch, a sheriff’s office spokesman, said deputies will be allowed to grow out their beards for a fee, which will be donated to the Charlie Kubala Memorial Trust. The non-profit organization was established by local law enforcement officers in 1996 shortly after the on-duty death of 13-year Sumter County Sheriff’s Office veteran Sgt. Charlie Kubala.

Bunch said the organization was created to provide financial assistance for Kubala’s children, but the charity has since grown to aide children and spouses of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The funds raised are also used to provide several scholarships to local high school students.

Participating deputies will be able to grow out their beards until Oct. 12, which is when the 20th annual Charlie Kubala Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled. This year, approximately 300 golfers are expected to participate in the event at the Beech Creek Golf Club.

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Sumter County deputies growing out beards for good cause."