LongBeard Contest to Benefit Fallen EMT's Family

Gentlemen, stow your razors and get ready to grow a beard in a good cause. 

The Alchemist & Barrister's Annual LongBeard Benefit gets underway on February 1, 2013. It's the first in a series of shamrock-starred events, leading up to the landmark pub's St. Patrick's Day Party on March 17th.

So how do you sign up? Just head over to The Alchemist & Barrister, clean shaven, on February 1 and donate $25 to enter the competition. Beards will be measured at the party on the 17th with prizes and bragging rights awarded for the Longest Beard, Ugliest Beard and Best Looking Beard.

The festivities always benefit a local charity and this year's recipients will be the wife and daughter of the late Michael Kenwood. A member of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, Michael lost his life in a rescue attempt during Hurricane Irene in 2011. 

"Each year, our staff and patrons support a local charity that reflects the courage and commitment of our community," A&B's Executive Chef/Owner Arthur Kukoda said. "There is no better example of that courage and commitment than Michael Kenwood who lost his life trying to save another." 

As Hurricane Irene swept through Central New Jersey on the night of August 28, 2011, Michael Kenwood, 39, and his closest friend, Paul Simon, set out to investigate reports of a car, submerged in the Stony Brook. The two EMT volunteers feared the vehicle might be occupied, and ventured into the churning waters in a rescue attempt. Michael Kenwood was swept away by the current and was pulled unconscious from the flooded river. He died of his injuries later that night, leaving behind his wife and young daughter, now aged five.

The car, it turned out, was empty, abandoned by its owner. Michael Kenwood also left a heartbroken community. The members of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad strive to honor his memory, live his legacy, and as Michael would have wanted, ensure that his family is cared for.