Thanks to you many children's wishes will come true

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Every November, friends and family cringe as I engage in the annual Mustaches for Kids campaign. Through Mustaches for Kids, men around the world band together to raise funds for charities such asDonorsChoose.org, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, and San Francisco’s Legal Services for Children.

The local chapter I participate in – Mustaches for Kids Ottawa – raises funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation – which uses the money to make a sick child’s wish come true.

This year, the mustache-growing men of Ottawa raised over $32,000 for the Make a Wish Foundation. That brings our five year total to $82,000.

Several people noticed my hirsute appearance and contributed as a result. Big thanks to Terry Fallis, Dave Fleet, Guy Skipworth, Eden Spodek and Dave Hicks. Somewhere there is a sick child who feels a bit happier thanks to your generosity.

And thanks to to M4K’s Ottawa organizer Brett Tackaberry for keeping this effort growing for the past five years.

So, for now it’s back to being clean shaven. But don’t worry, I’ll give everyone reason to chuckle at me when I start the whole process over again November 1, 2010.

Make a child's wish come true through Mustaches for Kids

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Joseph-Thornley-M4K-091120Once again this year, I’m annoying my wife and providing amusement to many others by growing a mustache. And as I hear people chuckling as I pass by, I take comfort in knowing that it’s all for a good cause – helping make the wish of a sick child come true.

Yes, I’m participating again this year in Mustaches for Kids. During the month of November, I join other men in cities and communities across North America in a desperate plea for your attention. And once we have it, we ask you to make a contribution to a most worthwhile cause – the Make a Wish Foundation.

For years, Make a Wish has been bringing a smile to the face of seriously ill children. And I want to help them do this. And you can help too.

How can you help?

Simply go to the Mustaches for Kids site that I’m registered on and make a contribution.

Make your contribution count double

Here’s a bonus. If you indicate on the M4K Website that you’re making your contribution in support of me, I’ll match your contribution. I’m hoping that people will make a total of $1,000 in contributions associated with my ‘stache. I’ll match all the contributions up to that amount.

So, please open your heart and your wallets. Help make a sick child’s wish come true.

Thank you for helping make a child's dream come true

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5 weeks without a shave

5 weeks without a shave

After five weeks of looking increasingly seedy, I’ve completed my Mustaches for Kids fundraising campaign. And readers of this blog and followers of thornley on Twitter contributed $450 for the Make a Wish Foundation. I’ll add my own donation to that amount. So, together, we raised a total of $1,000 to make the wish of a terminally ill child come true.

I continue to be impressed with the generosity of the people I meet through social media. You had no reason to contribute. You could have remained anonymously passive. Yet you chose to contribute to this cause simply because you were asked to do so.

Thank you to the people who contributed to Mustaches for Kids and the Make a Wish Foundation: John Wiseman, Dave Fleet, Parker Mason, Francis Wooby, Michael Seaton, Terry Fallis, Eden Spodek, Shawn McCann, Aimee Deziel, Andrea Clarke, Todd Van Hoosear, David Magil, Angela Kryhul, and Shel Holtz. You’ve earned my respect.

The morning after - clean shaven again

One week left to make a child's dream come true

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Mustaches for Kids - Week 4I’m one week away from the end of my moustache growing for Mustaches for Kids. Through Mustaches for Kids, men across North America to help raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation, which grants the wish of a child with a terminal illness.

That’s me on the right. Looking like an old, decrepit, suspicious character. But it will all be worthwhile if you and others like you contribute to help a child’s wish come true.

Please help. Click on the donate button on the Mustaches for Kids home page to make a child’s wish come true. And remember, I’ll match every dollar up to $1,000 contributed by readers of my blog. So, when you make your contribution, please email me at joseph.thornley [at] gmail [dot] com to let me know that you’ve contributed.

Moustaches for Kids Week 1 – Make a child's wish come true

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Mustaches for Kids Week 1

Mustaches for Kids Week 1

I’m one week into this year’s Mustaches for Kids campaign to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. And as you can see from the head shot on this post, the people who live and work with me are having to put up with the dirty lip phase of moustache growing. As my daughter said, “Eeeewwww.”

So, there has to be a reason to subject myself to the laughter that people emit when they look at my stubbly lip. And there is. Helping to make an ill child’s wish come true.

Read about what a wish come true meant to Rachel or what it meant to Jesse, and I’m sure that you too will understand why I am doing this.

So, help me out. Please click on the donate button on the Mustaches for Kids home page to make a child’s wish come true. And remember, I’ll match every dollar up to $1,000 contributed by readers of my blog. So, when you make your contribution, please email me at joseph.thornley [at] gmail [dot] com to let me know that you’ve contributed.

John Wiseman, Dave Fleet, Parker Mason and Francis Wooby all made donations following last week’s post. Thank you John, Dave, Parker and Francis for helping to make a child’s wish come true.

If you’ve read this far in this post and you want to make a terminally ill child’s wish come true, please contribute.

Double your money for a good cause – and watch me grow a 'stash

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Make a child’s wish come true

Over the next five weeks, you’ll have a chance to see me grow (or attempt to) a radiant, bushy, geeky moustache. Yep, I’m going hirsute.

I’m growing my ‘stash as part of the Ottawa Mustaches for Kids campaign that some of the fine fellows in my community have organized.

Clean Shave Day

Clean shaven - one last time

Between now and December 5, my fellow mustache-growers will go razorless (at least on our upper lips). And as we do this, we’ll raise money from family, friends and even strangers on the street for a most worthshile cause – the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Make-a-Wish grants wishes to create hope and happiness for children with life-threatening illnesses around the world. It has granted more than 210,000 wishes since it was founded.

Mustaches for Kids was first organized in 1999 in Los Angeles. Since then, it has spread to cities throughout North America. Participants have raised over $150,000 for worthwhile causes like Make-a-Wish through the annual mustache-growing campaign.

Last year, our local Mustaches for Kids campaign granted wishes for Victoria, Jakob and Michael. I don’t think I need to say more. This is worth doing.

Every dollar you contribute will turn into 2 dollars

This year, I will match every contribution that is pledged through me up to $1,000.

If you’d like to pledge a contribution of $25 or more, simply contribute directly on the Mustaches for Kids site and email me at joseph.thornley[a-t]gmail[d.o.t.]com. I’ll match your contribution.

So, please consider making a contribution to help a child’s wish come true. I know you’ll feel good that you did.