Chappy!

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!