THE CROW WHISKER CHRONICLES

one thousand follicles of thanks

2008-12-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

We did it my friends and family!

In four unforgettable weeks of a philanthropic mustache misadventure, we raised $5,800 dollars... through 84 donors... fully funding 12 classroom requests ... and reaching 492 kids at an elementary school in Oakland. Thanks to you I was able to raise the second highest amount of money among almost 100 growers in San Francisco.

I talked this week to David Silver, the Principal of that amazing school Think College Now (http://www.thinkcollegenow.org/), and he excitedly explained how the supplies will be arriving in the classrooms by early January.

Our entire San Francisco team raised over $79K-- edging out the perennial powerhouse NYC Chapter. Combining the work of all city chapters across our fair country, 1,389 brave men raised over $300K for Mustaches for kids.

For those who donated, thank you very much. Your contribution helps get real books and supplies to kids by January. For those who didn't contribute, there's always next year!

Check out a great video of a local news story on the event. Captures perfectly this wacky little fundraiser... http://vimeo.com/2577556

Chappy!

2008-12-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Oh what a night!

Our Mustaches for Kids drew to a dramatic close with the 2008 Stache Bash on Wednesday night. Over 50 growers strutted their stuff in full character at a raucous party, sporting some amazing upper lip growth.

The atmosphere was sizzling as growers and their legions of fans and groupies whooped and pumped fists upon learning that San Francisco had edged out perrenial powerhouse NYC for the most funds raised of any US Mustaches for Kids Chapter.

Jon Wolanskey, spiritual leader of the San Francisco effort, led off the gala program with a mind-bending Stache of the Union, and the games were on.

Over the next three hours, the crowd became enamoured with these mustached men. G-Dolla, Peruvian Ceviche, Mustache Sally were among the crowd favorites. Your loyal correspondent (me) went as Chappy McGinty, a Irish turn-of-the-century bareknuckle boxer. Complete with black eye, a proud shadow box prance, and a horrible, not-remotely accurate accent.

And three rounds later, when the dust cleared, ole Chappy held the big "Sweetest Stache" of the night trophy. But not until running the guantlet of three daunting rounds full of haiku presentation, a public kissing test followed by Guiness on the mustache retention challenge, and then a Stache-o-War in which your mustache is clipped by wire to another challenger for an old fashion tug of war.

For the good, the bad, and the ugly, check out the article in SF Weekly: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2008/12/last_night_the_2008_stash_bash.php

G-Dolla (aka my legendary friend Gabe Adiv) took home the most door prizes for his status of biggest fundraiser and thuggiest mustache. And various prizes were given to other unsavory characters. Love was in the air...

What a night. In the words of many a wise kids soccer coach, 'we were all winners,' especially the fans who got to watch 50 guys on stage making fools of themselves. God what a great time!

holiday spirit in the final three days...

2008-12-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

As the photos suggest, 'Mustaches for Kids' is not simply a day at the salt mines. Last Tuesday, growers converged on Union Square for 'Mustaches on Ice.' We strapped on the ice skates and had a ball of a time. Check out the matching white figure skates of me and my buddy Gabe.

It was an amazing week for the fundraising efforts thanks to so many of you! Thanks to 57 donors, we have raised over $4,400 for the amazing elementary school 'Think College Now' in Oakland. Ten classrooms of kids now have a range of new books and educational supplies.

And we can help fund two more classrooms-- the last projects we are trying to fund in this effort-- in the last three days of this fundraiser.

If you have already donated, you should feel proud: I've heard personally how excited the teachers and kids are to have these new books and supplies. If you haven't yet donated, please do! It's a generous holiday gift to a little person's future.

The event ends on Wednesday at the world famous "Stache Bash." All 85 growers and their friends will convene for a party and gala mustache beauty contest. It's a fun, lively event that starts at 8PM at the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell Street @ Van Ness). Check out the evite- come one come all!

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=POQCHZTGIRBBFRHBENUD&li=iq&src=email&trk=aei2

T-Minus 10 Days... the kids need our help!

2008-12-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

My friends, only ten days are left in my fundraising effort. Can you help meet my goal?

My mustache is working furiously to grow as fast as possible before the big 'Stache Bash that marks the end of our efforts. But I'm almost $1,000 short of my fundraising goal.

To date, thanks to over 25 generous friends, we've been able to raise over $1,400 dollars and buy science and reading books for two of the classrooms at the Oakland elementary school that we're supporting. But there are two more projects we're working to fund and so more help is needed.

Please take just a couple of minutes to make a donation to our projects directly to the right of this blog posting. Think of it as an early holiday present to dozens of less fortunate kids who are working hard to brighten their future.

Thanks in advance for your support and generosity!

For those who are local, please come to our Stache Bash on Wednesday, December 17 at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco (155 Fell @ Van Ness). Begins at 8PM and goes past midnight. I'll be competing in a mustache beauty contest to take home the famed trophy, and the party promises to be a great time!

Mustache in the news!

2008-12-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

My mustache made a smashing debut on the pages of the San Francisco Chronicle this week!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/05/BA6J14I8QT.DTL&hw=wade+crowfoot&sn=001&sc=1000

Despite an interesting announcement on a new neighborhood bike program, my suave new facial hair frankly overshadowed the press event. The media asked eight questions in the press conference, six which involved my mustache. I think the general sentiment on my lip fur was summed up by one SF Chronicle reader who responded to the online version of the article asking "Just who is that husky yet refined gentlemen with the mustache?"

Who knew that my mustache could benefit my career?

coming on strong

2008-11-29T09:19:00.001-08:00

Over halfway there in this five-week endurance test.

The mustache looks like a mustache, I've raised $1,235 (thank you to those who have donated already!), and I'm unrecognizable at first glance by some colleagues and friends who have walked right by me and my fancy new face.

But I have a lot more to go. I'm still well over $1,000 short of my fundraising goal for the Think College Now elementary school. These struggling kids need books, and this means I need to work harder: grow the stache with more focus and determination, and remind friends to donate with more perseverance and shamelessness.

At this critical point in my effort, I'm reminded of the legendary runner Steve Prefontaine. Pre was a middle distance man for the University of Oregon in the 1970s, and the holder of almost every State record in Oregon high school history. He was shorter and smaller than the other runners and often the underdog, but believed it was a runner's guts, not physical ability that set them apart. He ran like his life depended on it. He also had an amazing mustache.

Pre's right, it's a guts game at this point. Dig deep and grow as if I can't fail.

Asking you to dig deep too! Please contribute and help the kids from Oakland so they can have these books and curriculum for next semester. I assure you it's the best money spent toward helping others over the holiday season.

Help us down the home stretch...

Emiliano vs. Freddy

2008-11-24T22:29:00.000-08:00

My mustache was paid two incredible complements tonight at a work happy hour.

First, it was compared (by my good friend Zach) to the legendary revolutionary stache of the greatest Mexican freedom fighter of all time, Emilano Zapata. High praise indeed. The very next comment (from my main man Judson) drew a comparison between my lip growth and that of Freddy Mercury, an equally legendary alpha-male of a complete different historical era. I argued that I am not worthy of such comparisons. Not yet anyway.

Which stache should I aspire to? I leave that to you good supporter of Mustaches for Kids.

Donate now, tell me the ultimate stache role model, and help inspire me to reach the heights of these legendary mustache growers! More info can be found at http://www.mfksf.org/ and http://www.thinkcollegenow.org/.

Shave Summit II

2008-11-21T07:30:00.001-08:00

A shot of my blossoming face flower at about Day 9 at our second Tuesday Shave Summit.

Each Tuesday during this effort, we 'growers' get together at a local watering hole to compare our growing lip manes, get updates on the fundraiser, and have a couple of beers together.

It's fun to get to know the other guys, which has made clear this is not your average philanthropic community event. It's engaging a lot of people who may not otherwise be used to raising money.

A few facts on the Elementary School I'm raising funds for, Think College Now, to get your generosity juices flowing:

Located in the Cesar Chavez Education Center in Oakland's diverse Fruitvale community

Demographics:

91% at or near the poverty line, receiving subsidized or reduced-price lunches

255 students, kindergarten through 5th grade- 73% Latino, 20% African-American, and 7% Asian-American

68% English-language learners

Academic Performance Index (API)-

2005-06: Score increased 109 points, the greatest improvement in the district-

2006-07: Score rose 61 points to 781, again leading all Oakland Unified elementary schools in growth

Behold the Glory

2008-11-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

At our weekly mustache weigh-in, I had a chance to come stache to stache with the grand trophy for the winner of the Gala Mustache Pageant on December 17.

As you can see, it is an awe inspiring symbol of excellence in this competition and the grower that wins the right to display this on his mantle is truly a lucky man.

Crowstache, Day 7

2008-11-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

My mustache is 7 days old (a mere adolescent in mustache years) and I have to say I already feel a bit more manly. And more wise and contemplative.

Crowstache commences!

2008-11-16T20:08:00.000-08:00

Join me as I embark on a legendary journey of self-cultivation to raise money for kids.

Raise money through a racing in Triathalon? Naw, that's for wimps. Bake sales to raise funds? No way, that's for sissies.

Instead, over the next five weeks, I will be growing a fabulous never-seen-before mustache on my upper lip. A blossoming sculpture of manhood. Part of a community fundraiser called Mustaches for Kids. http://www.m4ksf.org/

And for a good cause... By contributing to my Stache-A-Thon you'll be buying books and classroom supplies for Think College Now, a small elementary school in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. http://www.thinkcollegenow.org/

Please support this Stache-A-Thon with a donation of any amount through the Donors Choose link on this page. And check back in to see the progress of my mustache!