Watch Brett Keisel 'Shear Da Beard' for Charity

Perhaps WDVE’s Randy Baumann said it best.

“Only in Pittsburgh would this many people turn out to see a guy shave,” he told a cheering crowd of black-and-gold wearing patrons at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale Thursday.

Then again, he wasn’t referring to lopping off just any old beard.

For the third year in a row, the Steelers’ Brett Keisel, who resides in the Cranberry area, shaved off his fearsome facial hair as part of the “Shear Da Beard” event to benefit the cancer programs at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC.

Chris Gessner, president of Children’s Hospital of UPMC, said the event has raised close to $100,000 for cancer programs in the last few years.

“He’s really become somewhat of a hero,” he said of Keisel. “His beard is kind of a symbol of hope for all these kids who have cancer at Children’s.”

Baumann, who hosted the event, kicked the night off by singing a rendition of Fear the Beard. Twirling his mustache, which was curled up for the night, Keisel joined him on stage, and even sang the chorus.

The event featured a live and a silent auction with Keisel good-naturedly egging on attendees, including his fellow Steelers, to bid on items. At one point, he let a couple hold his Super Bowl rings as a way to encourage them to keep bidding on a portrait of him.  

Several surprise celebrity barbers also made guest appearances on stage to help Keisel lop off his whiskers. Among them were Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Charlie Batch, Cam Heyward, Heath Miller, Aaron Smith and Steelers chairman Dan Rooney.

Donning elbow-length gloves, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also cut a snippet of Keisel’s beard.

He joked the gloves were because he sits next to Keisel at team meetings—and therefore gets a first hand look at all the food that ends up in his defensive end’s facial hair.

While Keisel went backstage to finish shaving his beard, Pittsburgh legend Donnie Iris and former Poverty Neck Hillbilly Chris Higbee entertained the crowd.

When Keisel reemerged, to the sounds of Sharp Dressed Man, he was hardly recognizable with a clean-shaven face.

For fans of the beard, which has its own website and Facebook page, don’t worry. Keisel promised to grow back his facial hair, and maybe even shave it off again for charity.

“I feel like it’s coming back already,” he told the crowd as he stroked his face.

Patch.com was at Thursday’s sold out event. Click on the videos to watch scenes from “Shear Da Beard.”