Students recently raised more than $20,000 for the Mt. Diablo Elementary School Parent Faculty Club, which was more than enough to pay for Bob Biles’ shave and haircut.

The popular custodian had been growing his bushy black beard for more than 15 years when principal Bob Dodson asked him to volunteer for an “extreme makeover” as a reward to the students for their fundraising efforts.

The students cheered as Franco Garcia and Angelique Brown of Great Clips snipped away at Biles’ beard and shoulder length locks.

The makeover was complete when Biles stepped behind the parked school bus to change into a new suit and tie donated by Men’s Warehouse. The students chanted “Move that bus; move that bus” in a takeoff of the popular TV show “Extreme Makeover.” “I feel younger, lighter,” said Biles, sporting a jaunty new fedora.

Not everyone was as pleased. Daughter Holly and granddaughter Hanna, 3, watched the makeover from the sidelines. Hanna had never seen her grandpa without his beard and it was a tough sell. “This is going to take some getting used to,” Holly said. “I miss the beard.”

For the Spell-a-Thon fundraiser, students received donations from friends, neighbors and family members based on the number of words they spelled correctly in a test. In addition to the “extreme makeover” event, all students were rewarded with a popsicle party for their efforts and the class at each grade level which raised the most money received a root beer float party.

“This ‘fun’draiser was a win-win for everyone – including the PFC, the students and Mr. Biles,” Dodson said. “Rosio, the bus driver, also got into the spirit of the event by making sure her bus was impeccably clean for this celebration. Most importantly, the students won, because they raised money that will directly impact their education in a positive way.”