With the coming of winter traditional fundraising events tend to slow, with walk-a-thons and marathons being reserved for the warmer months. In addition to pulling thick coats and scarves out of storage, one group has a reaction to the cold that doubles as a winter fundraiser—growing mustaches with sponsorship.
Mustaches for Kids is a national organization that has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Make-A-Wish foundation, all through facial hair. Local chapter Mustaches for Kids SF kicks off the 'growing season' this Tuesday at Cassanova Lounge (527 Valencia Street, San Francisco, see site for details). Growers will be working hard to achieve facial hair while gathering donations from sponsors, much like a runner. The Tuesday event will be a shaving, to ensure all growers begin at the same stage. In coming weeks 'staches and their support teams will meet at 'checkpoints' to celebrate their success and photograph the results before gathering for the final ‘Stache Bash on December 13th.
Whether you choose to grow or support a grower, all proceeds will go to Breakthrough Collaborative, a local non-profit with the mission of “improving the educational trajectory of underserved middle school students and inspiring young people to enter the field of education.”
We had a brief Q&A via email with Jon Wolanske of Mustaches for Kids SF:
Q: How long has the SF group been in operation?
this is our sixth consecutive 'season.'
Q: What were the charities in past years?
the make-a-wish foundation, legal services for children, and the homeless children's network.
Q: What's the average number of mustache growers?
about 25. but there is no limit to the number of growers we will accept and groom with.
Q: Any special words of encouragement to East Bay residents?
the growers we've seen from oakland and berkeley have expressed real commitment and dedication--not just because the checkpoints require traveling to the city, but because it requires hauling even more ground in the name of our charity. also: ktvu oakland anchor
dennis richmond has one of the best upper lips in the biz and anyone from his side of the bay we know can bring the follicular heat.
Q: How did you select Breakthrough Collaborative for this year?
it was a hard choice--as always. it came down to wanting to help an organization in the field of education this year (we have worked with health care orgs, legal orgs, and with a homeless advocacy program before). we just wanted to do something involving learning this time out. and breakthrough had a large network of folks who wanted to grow with us and really take the event to the next level. plus they are able to do a lot with not a lot of money raised and our interest is in supporting those places who not only do good but make the most of the money we can raise for them.
Q: Are any particular mustache styles favored, encouraged, etc? Does one type of mustache seem to draw more donations than other types?
surprisingly, there is no champ style--cause we insist on keeping things about the honest stache--corner to corner. we have found that the most stylish stache is the best networked stache. cause of the amount of money raised, you know. but the wispy ones do well with audience/donor sympathy, too.
Q: Do you encourage mustache spectators at the checkpoints and other events?
yes, actually. a group of ladies actually took note of our every tuesday checkpoint schedule a few years back, and reconvened themselves at the same bar each week. it really IS about bringing the community together.