Don't Back Down

After the third checkpoint last week, I was getting a little antsy for this to be over. Like I mentioned, it really wasn't the 'stache, as I don't mind it much. It doesn't itch nearly as much as a beard, it's just that I'm not a mustache guy. I'm just not much for shaving (as I've already said more than once), and I think more than anything, I like variety - having to keep to the schedule - at least as much as I have - is probably worse than anything else.

So it is with no small amount of relief that I announce the finish of the 2008 Mustache for Kids competition. The actual event won't be over until the Sweetest Stache is judged at 6:30pm on Friday night at Madison's Bar and Lounge, but I already told you that I wasn't much for the whole schedule thing, so consider this my official completion announcement. You can check out my final entry, as well as the details of my donation, below. Enjoy!

Yep. That's really me, fresh out of the shower, looking even more like the 70s porn star. Scary isn't it. Good thing I wasn't born twenty years earlier!

The good news is that it will all soon be over. The only task left is the donation. Unfortunately, I didn't receive any mention of matching donations, so I don't know if anyone decided to donate on my account (if you did, send me a copy of your email, and I'll be sure and mention you here - include a photo of your 'stache if you want photo credit), but it meant it was time to step up to the plate for myself. So I gathered the family around the computer and we decided to figure out which proposal was the most worthy.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that the overall total was just $24 less than the total goal of $30,000 - it's like it was meant to be! I had to be the one to put it over the top!

Of course, all the causes are worthy, so we decided to figure out which was the most interesting. Eventually we settled on The Future Newberry Award Winners Need You!, which is looking for some basic supplies such as large pencils and crayons to get the class going on a writing and art center. The donation was just for $50, because it was a personal one, but the cause certainly sounds like a good one. It makes me want to give more. We'll see how this one pans out and go from there. I guess that I'm just cautious that way (no offense to anyone - I'm sure that everyone is on the up-and-up).

Once it was done (an incredibly easy process - it's amazing how easy it is to get rid of money sometimes), I went back to check the overall status, and sure enough, the total donations were over the top. Unfortunately, I can't say if my donation was the one that did it, because it looks like there were actually three donations that came through in that time period, for a bit more than just my $50 - but it was certainly possible that it was due to mine! If you haven't donated yet, there are plenty of good causes left. Check them out and see if you can find one (or more)!

View the 2008 Mustaches for Kids Gallery (6 Images) »