LYNCHBURG, Va. – Organizations in Lynchburg are having fun with facial hair, while achieving their goal of raising money for children in need.
Mustaches for Kids is an event where participants grow out their mustaches while raising money throughout November.
One hundred percent of the proceeds go to kid-focused charities, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club, CASA and Jubilee Family Center.
Participants raised $320,000 in 2020. With more than 200 growers this year, organizers believe they’ll raise nearly $400,000 for about 20 different charities.
“We just had no clue that it was going to get to this level, to be able to have this kind of impact. Just to see something grow, it feels good to give back to the community that you live in and to give kids hope,” said Chris Boswell, president and co-founder of Mustaches for Kids Lynchburg.
“It costs [Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Virginia] about $2,000 to match a child and support that match for one year. So, $40,000 gives 20 kids an opportunity to have a mentor in their life that can possibly change the direction of their life,” said Ash Gorman, executive director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Virginia, one of the main organizations benefitting from the fundraiser.
Participants meet every Wednesday to check in on how well their mustaches are growing and how much money they’ve raised so far. The winner with the best mustache will be announced Dec. 3.