"Chewbacca" (fullest mustache) goes to Alex Ricciardi!

"Rogaine Challenge" (thinnest mustache) goes to Peter Tu!

"Brawney Man" (most absorbant) goes to Aaron Keene!

"The Ron Jeremy" (sexiest stache) goes to Dennis Berry!

"The Snidely Whiplash" (creepiest stache) goes to Craig Callaghan!

"Metro-Stache-ual" (best groomed) goes to Brandon Brown-Webster!

"Mr. Rich Uncle Penny Bags" (biggest fund raiser) goes to Steve Pitruzello!

"The Alex Trebek" (trivia champ) goes to Dennis Berry!

Name That Mustache champs were Sara Dill and Chris Hall!

"Mustache Idol" (best mirroring his role model) goes to Mike Comeau!

 And the overall points champions:

3^rd Michael Carbonetta

2^nd Dennis Berry

1^st Steve Pitruzello

Congratulations everyone for a successful year!

Wait for it…

Friday is the Second Annual Mustaches for Kids Hartford Stache Bash and Sweetest Stache Competition!!!

• Friday, December 11th @ 6:00 pm
• City Steam Brewery Cafe, 942 Main Street, Hartford
• http://www.citysteambrewerycafe.com/

Everyone is welcome and, based on the success of last year’s bash, it’s going to be a blast.  So send this note to anyone and everyone.

Growers, this is a good excuse to send a final fundraising email out.  Let people know there’s still time to give and that we’re aiming to beat our goal of $10,000.

A few notes on Friday night. The competitions will start at 6:30, so be sure to arrive early. We’ll have the back section of the restaurant, and you can arrive any time after 5:30. There are 9 fun awards this year (fullest, thinnest, best groomed, sexiest, scariest, most like model, most absorbent, trivia champ, name that mustache), a free raffle, a 50/50, as well as prizes for greatest fund raiser and sweetest stache. We’ll have a cash bar and some free apps.

Lastly, don’t forget to sport some sweet Stache-wear Friday night. I’m working on mine now.

Gotta grow, see you Friday night!

For most of you, your mustache has already begun to feel natural: you actually stand a bit taller, hold your head a bit higher, receive looks of respect and admaration from everyone you pass. That’s the power of the mustache.

Just remember, the whole reason we are growing mustaches is to donate money to CCMC. Put that upper lip to good use and start following up with all those people who promised they’d donate for you eventually. The time to collect is now, there’s only 1 week left for this to affect your 2009 tally. You’ve all done great so far, but there is still a ways to go to pass last year’s total of $10,000. Keep bringing in your donations, every dollar helps.

So come out tonight for Checkpoint #3 and show off your sweet stache. Enjoy a few beers, some great food and music, and continue to collect those donations. Thanks, see you tonight.

Checkpoint #3

• When: Friday, December 4th, 6:00 p.m.
• Where: The Tavern Downtown, 100 Allyn Street, Hartford
• Web: http://www.thetaverndowntown.com/
• Live music and beer specials

Did you know that the Pilgrims grew mustaches for charity? Just after the Wampanoag Indians taught the Pilgrims to grow corn, William Branford asked Squanto to make a donation. It’s true, I read it in a history book.

To carry on this American tradition, make sure to remember Mustaches for Kids during your Thanksgiving holiday. Following Checkpoint #1, we’ve already raised over $1,000! Consider making a donation yourself on our website www.m4khartford.org - donations benefit Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Thanksgiving is an important part of every growing season. For several days, most of us will have a captive audience to entertain with stories of mustache grandeur. Even if you aren’t Growing for the Kids this year, letting the hairless members of your clan on to the good deeds of M4K can’t hurt. Maybe some of them will be inspired, maybe some of them will donate, maybe some of them will be Growers in 2010! Who can tell? At least they might get a chuckle out of the whole enterprise, and if we can’t get at their wallets for the Kids, at least we can spread Mustache Mirth.

Since most growers are busy this week spending time with their families, squandering the last of their vacation days (guilty), or stuffing a turkey, this week we will not meet. However, we’ve scheduled a get-together the Monday after Thanksgiving so you can show off your holiday growth (Saints-v-Patriots too). Growers: don’t forget that, per Mustache rules, you must shave your face except for your Mustache on Friday, November 27th.

• When: Monday, November 30th, 7:00 p.m.
• Where: Hooters in Wethersfield, 1731 Berlin Tpke, Wethersfield
• Web: www.hooters.com
• Bar: 50¢ wings, $2.99 tall drafts

We wish you all a stachey, healthy Thanksgiving!

This week we will to come together at The Half Door and celebrate three things: Over $400 raised in week 1, your fellow stachie’s sweet, sweet mustaches, and Billy Bates’ birthday!

Who is Billy Bates? Why, he is one of the greatest Cricketers ever to live. Bates took 50 wickets in 15 Tests at a startling average of 16.42, all in Australia. In Melbourne in 1882-83, he took 7 for 28, including the first Test hat-trick by an Englishman, and 7 for 74 as England hammered Australia by an inning. As a batsman he made ten first-class hundreds, and was good enough to open for England. Like you needed to ask.

Billy also had a killer ’stache.

Come out this Friday and meet some of your brothers-in-stache. Trade humiliating stories, general taunts and jibs, pledging tips and a few brews. Remember to bring your pledges – a total of $50 or more so far earns you a prize!

Checkpoint #1

• When: Friday, November 20^th, 6pm
• Where: The Half Door, 270 Sisson Avenue, Hartford
• Web: www.thehalfdoorhfd.com
• Bar: $2 drafts, The Van Burens play at 9:30

Hope to see you there.

There are only a few short days until clean shave day and my follicles are tingling.

Clean Shave Day

• When: Friday, November 13^th, 6pm
• Where: Vaughan’s Public House, 59 Pratt Street, Hartford
• Web: www.irishpublichouse.com
• Bar: $3 pints for M4K enthusiasts

A few tips to make the most of your clean shave week:

• Bring your first $20 donation this Friday and get a prize!
• Update your Facebook status to say “I am growing a mustache for Mustaches for Kids. Clean Shave day is November 13^th.” and share the m4khartford.org link with your buds. You can also join us on Facebook.
• Download and print the poster for your office/apt building/cave/etc. 
• Forward this email along to all those guys who last year said “hey, that’s a bitchin’ stache, can I grow next year”

If you haven’t already, please sign up. If you’re unsure if you’ve signed up yet you can check the gallery for your name. Most importantly get the m4k rookies to sign up so I can get them on the list.

See you on Friday.

We are happy to announce the SECOND ANNUAL MUSTACHES FOR KIDS MUSTACHE GROWING CONTEST AND FUNDRAISER. This letter is your official personal invitation to greatness.

Last year, you, our devoted mustachees, raised $10,000 for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. For more details on how your efforts helped, I have posted a letter from the people at CCMC: CCMC Thank You

Many of you participated last year, I’m sure your upper lips have been tingling with anticipation. Others are new to this mustache growing thing, just check out a brief summary of Who We Are or browse our m4khartford website. You too can benefit Connecticut’s children through mustache greatness.

So sharpen up your razors because Clean Shave Day is November 13^th, less than a week away!  Details will follow on where and when we will celebrate this loss of innocence. Our goal this year is to double our donations, so we’re going to have to bring our A-game this year. Encourage your friends/co-workers/family to join as well. “A single hair is nothing on its own, but united they form a mighty Mustache!”