Men growing mustaches not for fashion, but for charity

Baltimore, Md. - As the weather gets cooler, chances are you'll see more men sporting facial hair to help keep warm.  A group of Baltimore men will indeed be growing mustaches.  But it's about more than just staying warm or making a fashion statement.

Mustaches for Kids is a charity that challenges men to grow mustaches for one month while collecting donations.  "Growers" are not allowed to shave the area above their upper lips, but must shave the rest of their faces at least once per week.

Their progress will be documented in photos, and after four weeks they'll compete at the annual "Stache Bash" to determine who has cultivated the sweetest stache.

All of the money collected will go to Baltimore City schools.  The Baltimore chapter of Mustaches for Kids was launches two years ago, and has been quite successful so far. 

Each of its first two years, the event raised about $25,000 for city schools.  This year, organizers say they've got about double the amount of mustache growers, and hope to raise at least twice as much as in the past.

Convincing folks to give to a good cause isn't so hard.  Talking guys into growing mustaches, however, can be a different story.

"Usually the feedback is, 'I can't grow a mustache, I just have a terrible mustache', 'my work won't let me' and 'my significant other won't let me,'" says Pranav Saha of Mustaches for Kids Baltimore.  "We look at them steely gazed, right in the eye, and we say, 'It's for the kids.'"

"Stache Bash" will take place in December in Hampden. 

In the meantime, you can still give to the cause, or even sign up to be a grower yourself.  Just visit the organization's website for more information.