Ramapo Ridge students may have noticed that some of their teachers’ Back-to-School looks are a little hairier than usual.

That’s because six of the middle school’s teachers have pledged to be a part of the “Septem-Beard” challenge, which asks participants to grow facial hair for a cause.

The teachers chose to fight prostate cancer.

“We always joke about who could grow the best beard,” Rich Gordon, an eighth grade math teacher who helped organize the Ridge’s participation, said. “When we found out about this, we thought it would be a great thing to do. We selected prostate cancer research as the recipient because it touches so many people. Odds are, in your life you will know someone affected by this disease.”

Gordon asked around at school to see who would be interested in taking the “Septem-Beard” challenge, and got head custodian Pete Meyer, eighth grade Language Arts teacher Jim Dalessio, phys ed teachers Chris Diaz and Brian Girardi, and health teacher Jimmy Taranto, to join him.

So, for the month, their beards, and online donations locals have made on their behalf, have been growing. As of Saturday, the group had raised $270.

They are also planning to host a “jeans day” at the middle school, where teachers can pay $5 to wear jeans to school one Friday. All of the payments benefit the cause, which Gordon said “should be a huge help.”

According to Gordon, fundraisers like this are part of what make the Mahwah School District “great. We always come together to raise money for various causes. It’s an important thing for the school community to do.”

You can donate to the cause, and track the participants’ beard-growth progression, at the Septem-Beard website. The challenge only lasts through the month of September.