The Mustaches for Kids, "Sweet 'Stache 2006" - A Benefit for Homeless Children's Network

** Thank you for doing whatever you can to help Homeless Children's Network continue to provide these comprehensive and essential services **

Friday, December 15: -- Save the Date!!! The Mustaches for Kids, "Sweet 'Stache 2006" Judging Ceremony / 7-9 PM @ The Rickshaw Stop

What: The Mustaches for Kids, "Sweet 'Stache 2006" Judging Ceremony
When: Friday, December 15, 7 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.)

Where: The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell Street (between Franklin and Van Ness), San Francisco

Admission: $5+ sliding scale, benefiting the Homeless Children's Network

More info: http://www.m4ksf.org



San Francisco's Homeless Children's Network presents the Mustaches For Kids 5th annual holiday "Sweetest 'Stache" judging event, where mustache growers for the annual charity will face off against one another in a number of categories (determined by an independent panel of judges) to ultimately determine this year's grower of the "sweetest 'stache." All proceeds go to benefit the Homeless Children's Network, a non-profit that provides comprehensive mental health services, case management, and family support services for homeless children, youth, and their families throughout San Francisco . More info on the organization is available at http://www.hcnkids.org.

'MUSTACHES FOR KIDS' TURNS 5 THIS YEAR!

Annual Charity Mustache-Growing Contest This Year

Benefits San Francisco's Homeless Children's Network

Judging and Fundraising Event Friday, December 15 at San Francisco's The Rickshaw Stop; Growers to Compete in a Number of Categories to Determine This Year's Winner Of the "Sweetest 'Stache" Mantle

SAN FRANCISCO, November 10, 2006--Mustaches for Kids-the good-natured, follicularly-centered charity that last year raised more than $13, 000 for San Francisco's Legal Services for Children-returns to San Francisco for the fifth straight year! This year, Mustaches for Kids has chosen to benefit a new charity-the locally-based Homeless Children's Network, a non-profit that provides comprehensive mental health services, case management, and family support services for homeless children, youth, and their families throughout San Francisco. More information on the Homeless Children's Network may be found at http://www.hcnkids.org.



Each year, participants ("Growers") involved with Mustaches for Kids raise money by growing their best mustaches between Thanksgiving and Christmas. They shave their faces, except for the mustache, a minimum of one time per week. During this time, the Growers solicit donations from friends, family co-workers, and people in the community. At the end of the Growing Season, Mustaches for Kids hosts a Mustache Contest where the facial hair is evaluated by an independent panel of judges, and one mustache is declared to be the " Sweetest" of them all.



While many in the generation typically involved with Mustaches for Kids adventurously accessorize their mugs with facial hair of various shapes and styles - the goatee, soul patch, Vandyke, full beard, mutton chops and petite goatee are all acceptable adornments - few dare wear the solo 'stache on a day-to-day basis. Wallace Pinfold, author of A Closer Shave, has said: "The bow tie has come back, Richard Nixon has come back. Yes, I think (the mustache) will come back, but I wouldn't say get out your calendar yet."



"Through Mustaches for Kids, we are doing our part to make sure that the mustache reclaims a rightful and well-intentioned place on the face of grooming history," said Alex Estrovitz, co-administrator of Mustaches for Kids, San Francisco. "Despite whatever rules of fashion are in favor from year to year, this charity proves (with great humor and a big heart, mind you) that a mustache is to be celebrated always, and that growing one has benefits not just for those who wear it, but for the community at large. We're thrilled this year to have chosen a new locally-based group to benefit; the Homeless Children's Network is an outstanding non-profit dedicated to helping some kids who truly need assistance. One needs to just walk the streets of our wonderful city to see that homelessness is an issue that requires the assistance of true angels. HCN are among those angels-and we are thrilled to be growing for them!"



This year's Mustache Judging Contest will be held on Friday, December 15, at San Francisco's The Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell Street). Doors open at 7 p.m .; the official event begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5, and all money taken at the door goes to the Homeless Children's Network.



Growers will compete in a number of categories for the titles of "Sweetest 'Stache," "Sorriest 'Stache," and "Smartest 'Stache" (for the winner of the Mustache Trivia round), among others. The event will feature more than a dozen "growers" and will be hosted by emcee Jon Wolanske (of San Francisco sketch comedy group Killing My Lobster).



"Growers" will also be encouraged to wear outfits or assume costume identities that best showcase their mustache. In past years, growers have attended the final judging ceremonies dressed in such costumes as "The Unabomber," the Godfather, Freddie Mercury, Larry Bird, Chewbacca, and "high school history teacher."



The rules for growers involved in the contest are as follows:



1. No Hitler Mustaches allowed.

2. The use of growth hormones or coloring agents is not allowed.

3. While the growing period will end after four weeks, there is NO DEADLINE for fundraising.

4. On the first day of the event (Clean Shaven Day), Wednesday, November 15, 2006,participants will shave their faces clean of any and all facial hair. This includes, but is not limited to, Mustaches, beards, goatees, mutton chops, soul patches, and Van Dykes. All hair beyond the upper lip must be eradicated WEEKLY . Mustaches for Kids observes a strict 'corner to corner' policy: the Mustache must only stretch from one corner of your mouth to the other corner.

5. Along the duration of the growing period, there will be weekly MUSTACHE CHECKPOINTS (schedule indicated on http://www.m4sf.org). These events are not mandatory but they are a great opportunity to meet and encourage brothers-in-stache during the growing period.



Mustaches for Kids is a volunteer-run organization started in Los Angeles in 1999. Over the past five years, Mustaches for Kids has spread across the country, a steady expansion that is not unlike the measured, deliberate growth of a Mustache. Mustaches for Kids has enjoyed the efforts of an impressive number of Growers who in the years 2002 through 2005 collectively, raised over $75,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Last year, growers in San Francisco raised over $13,000 for Legal Services for Children. This year the group looks to surpass that amount for the Homeless Children's Network.



Says April Silas, Executive Director of the Homeless Children's Network, "HCN is honored to have been chosen as the beneficiary of this year's Mustache for Kids contest. We are very proud to collaborate on this unconventional effort to encourage philanthropic giving in a young, irreverent crowd that is not traditionally expected to make regular donations to non-profit organizations. Like M4K says, we hope to grow in MANY ways with them!"



Located in San Francisco's Mission district, The Homeless Children's Network (HCN) provides comprehensive mental health services, case management, and family support services for homeless children, youth, and their families throughout San Francisco. HCN also provides a forum for networking, education, support and shared resources for the city-wide community of homeless family and children's service providers. HCN's Therapists serve over 2,000 unduplicated children ages 0-17 and their families per year. The families we serve represent a rich array of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.



For more information on Mustaches for Kids and this year's judging event, and to find out how you can sponsor a grower, please consult http://www.m4ksf.org. For questions and media inquiries, please call 415.845.1041 or write to mustachesforkids [at] gmail.com





4) Direct link to donate to Homeless Children's Network -- please note the donation is in coordination with the Mustaches 4 Kids Fundraiser



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