“I’m fighting cancer with my moustache. … No, seriously,” is the exact explanation I received from an out of town friend when I asked him if he was growing a moustache or if his upper lip was just getting fuzzy.

Soon after I relayed the story to other friends, the Jackson chapter of Mustaches for Kids “Mountain ‘Staches of the Tetons” was born.

Mustaches for Kids takes aim a serious issue - cancer is on track to become the leading cause of American death - with a light-hearted competition and celebration of the time-honored and least-respected facial hair expression: the mustache.

How it works:

Participants commit to growing a moustache from Thanksgiving until Christmas. They also actively seek pledges during their proud growing season that are then donated to a cancer related charity selected by each chapter.

Mountain Stache of the Tetons designated the Make a Wish Foundation of Wyoming as the charity to receive our goodwill. The brave growers are armed with business cards detailing the pledge process that we hand out by way of explanation of our new upper lip activity.

You might have already seen a seemingly familiar face around town, done a double take, asking yourself, is that Danny sporting a sweet pushbroom? It is true, more then half of the male Cloudveil Employees, several Teton County Library employees, 100 percent of the men at Dave Leinonen Custom Homes and more have joined the ranks of MSOTT.

We bear the sacrifice, the ridicule and remarks from friends and coworkers, the sudden reduced affection from the women in our lives who are not used to the distinguished charm of the mountain stache. But you, good people, get to donate to a life changing cause. I know some readers are moved enough right now to donate this very instant, so go to WyomingWish.Org and follow the links to the National Make a Wish Foundation to donate.

Be sure to mark the Wyoming Make a Wish Foundation and the Mountain Stache grower of your choice as the inspiration for your pledge.

To our Jackson community:
It is not too late to join this cause, whether you are inspired to grow your own stache for the final weeks before Christmas, or moved to donate, spread the word. In fact, there will be a checkpoint meeting this Thursday, December 13 (TOMORROW!!) at the Brewpub at 9 p.m. This meeting of like-minded growers and supporters provides much needed camaraderie to squash the moments of self-doubt, raise awareness of the cause and solicit pledges.

Just this past week a brother who will remain anonymous fell to the pressures of his better half and shaved his stache after two weeks of stalwart growing. Clearly, growing a moustache can be a lonely endeavor; it consequently requires much inspiration and beer to aid the cause.

To the broader Mountain Culture readership:
You too can start a chapter or donate to ours. See above for the link to donate now, or visit MustachesForKids.Org for info on starting your own chapter.

And finally, to all the existing moustached men in our community and beyond:
You did not think we would not leave you without a shout out did you? Our endeavor means no insult to the permanent stache-sporting crowd. In fact, we salute you, and hope perhaps one day you would be proud enough to call us brothers. For we know the way of the upper lip now.

Stay tuned for later posts with more pictures, info on the stache bash pageant, and one helluva Christmas card.

Sincerely,

MSOTT Cofounders
Christacheafer Hanson, Adam VanStachel, Peter the Pushbroom Keenan

For other cancer-related information, try these:

* National Childhood Cancer Foundation

* St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

* National Cancer Foundation’s Childhood Cancer Information

* Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong Foundation (adults and children)

For other mustache-related information, check out the following:

* Moustache Man

* Wikipedia’s “Moustache”/”Mustache” definition

* World Beard and Moustache Championships