GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Mike Chase shaved his beard of nearly 41 years on Tuesday, and baseball and softball in Grand Rapids grew by $16,000 in exchange.

The 61-year-old Chase had his chops exposed for the first time since 1973, all to benefit inner city baseball in the city.

"This is beyond my wildest dreams," a cleanly shaven Chase said to the cheers of about 150 onlookers at Fifth Third Ballpark on Dec. 2.

The Grand Rapids native and life-long baseball fan agreed to lose his beard if his company could raise $5,000 for the Inner City Youth Baseball-softball program of the YMCA.

Eikenhout, where Chase is vice president, went a step further. The company agreed to match up to $5,000, but employees, clients, friends and supporters raised more than $11,000.

"It's just been amazing," said Chase, who grew up on the southeast side of Grand Rapids and played baseball locally and then, later, coached his children. "This (baseball) has been close to my heart for most of my life, so to have something like happen is just amazing."

The money will be used for equipment, uniforms and supplies for baseball and softball teams through the program run by the YMCA with partners the West Michigan Whitecaps and Fifth Third Bank. The program has grown from just a few hundred kids to an average of 1,600 boys and girls each summer.

Andrew Theile, a barber at Foremost Barbershop on Fulton, did the honors on Chase with a straight-edge cut before the cheers of onlookers.

"People asked me if I was nervous and I said not a bit," said Chase, though he was curious what was under all that hair.

"I haven't seen my face since right after I got married," he added, pegging his original beard at December, 1973.

Given all the time elapsed, Chase suddenly has a new look for family members, too.

"I've never seen him without it," said his 30-year-old son. Daniel.

Chase promises to keep the beard off until after Christmas, just to give everyone a chance to see him in the flesh, so to speak. After that, he expected to bring in fresh whiskers in time for the 2015 baseball season.

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.