Today we’d like to introduce you to ROBB DUNNE.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Bearded Men Society of Ocean City
Beards. Beers. Volunteers.
The Bearded Men Society of Ocean City was founded in January 2014 by Robb Dunne. The inspiration for the club started long before that.
Growing up, I watched my father dedicate countless hours to nonprofit organizations and community events. He always believed in giving back, and I spent many years helping him at his events. Those experiences taught me the importance of volunteering, supporting your neighbors, and making a difference in your community. His example is the foundation of everything our club stands for today.
About 15 years ago, I was brewing beer at Shorebilly Brewing on the Ocean City Boardwalk. During downtime, we would watch beard competitions on YouTube. After months of seeing these events, I began researching beard clubs across the country and around the world. I discovered that many of them weren’t just celebrating beards—they were raising money for charities and serving their communities.
After talking with a few friends, we decided Ocean City needed a club like that.
In January 2014, the Bearded Men Society of Ocean City officially began with four bearded guys who enjoyed brewing great beer, drinking great beer, and helping others.
Since then, we’ve grown into a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the people of the Lower Eastern Shore. Over the years, we have hosted 12 beard competitions, including eight major competitions right here in Ocean City. We have also organized countless fundraising events for local families and charitable organizations.
Since our founding, we have proudly raised and donated more than $500,000 to charities and individuals in need.
Community service is at the heart of everything we do. Our members volunteer at local events throughout Worcester County and beyond. We also enjoy participating in community traditions such as the Berlin Bathtub Races and the Snow Hill Raft Race.
You’ll also find us proudly participating in local parades, including the Berlin Christmas Parade, Snow Hill Christmas Parade, Ocean City Christmas Parade, and the Ocean City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where we have earned the honor of Best Overall Float four times.
One of our proudest partnerships is with Sterling Tavern, where we co-host an annual charity golf tournament. This year’s tournament raised more than $25,000 for Diakonia, one of the organizations closest to our hearts.
Our support for Diakonia goes far beyond fundraising. Our members have volunteered countless hours mowing grass, preparing meals for shelter residents, installing new flooring, remodeling bathrooms, and completing other improvement projects to help the organization continue serving those experiencing homelessness.
We are also proud supporters of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Every year, our members volunteer their time setting up, assisting during, and tearing down the annual Making Strides Walk, helping ensure another successful event in the fight against breast cancer.
Throughout the year, we host bar bingo nights, cornhole tournaments, charity fundraisers, and volunteer alongside many other nonprofit organizations. Our members also travel throughout the East Coast competing in beard competitions, supporting fellow beard clubs and the charitable causes they champion.
While we enjoy our beards and a good craft beer, our true purpose has always been giving back.
We are more than a beard club. We are a family dedicated to serving our community.
Beards. Beers. Volunteers.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Its been an up and down battle with membership at the beginning. We have a good couple of guys that have been around from the beginning, but over the years there have been some time when we are down to 5-8 members to 20+ to where we are now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a project manager for United Restorations. We are a mold,water and fire Restoration company that also does remodel and more.and by night im either bartending or doing some form of charity work. I am also on the board of directors of Diakonia.
What are your plans for the future?
My biggest thing i want to happen is the Club keep doing what they are doing and help the community the best they can and to keep growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Bmsocmd.org
- Instagram: Beardedmenoc
- Facebook: Bearded men society of Ocean city
