In what has become a very Patchy annual tradition, this year's Manuary overgrew the Patch HQ office in New York City. In the words of the highly esteemed Manuary Committee, "Beards are alive and buzzing in the hallowed halls of Patch." This year, Manuary combined the opportunity to donate to an important cause and, at the same time, helped celebrate one of Patch's most ancient cultural traditions: beard growing.

A record 35 participants across a number of HQ teams joined and, along with their sponsors, have raised $2,400 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, with multiple beards having hundreds of dollars in sponsorship!

Last year, 30 competing beards graced the competition and more than 15 trophies were awarded, including the contest's most coveted prizes, the "Best in Show" award and the "Patchiest" award.

Manuary's Golden Rule: "Love thy neighbor's beard." Some beards are easy to grow and some are not. Some beards are pretty to look at, some are not. Regardless of the beard, we celebrate each and every beard. Every beard is a personal journey of discovery and many times these journeys are arduous.